Miracle Baby
by TheBetterPoison
Summary: An AU fanfic; prompt suggested by LunaSolTierra, inspired from a telenovela. 23 year-old Sam Evans has a girlfriend and a strong desire to start a family. 17 year-old senior and virgin Mercedes Jones is preparing to graduate high school. So how will their worlds collide? Well, read on and find out! Rated M for 2 chapters of sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

_**If this fic doesn't make sense quite yet, hang in there with me! I promise it will all come together over time. :) Enjoy! And many thanks to LunaSolTierra for the prompt suggestion!**_

* * *

"Oh my God!"

"Not again!"

Those were the last things she heard before slipping into unconsciousness for the third time in the semester. She didn't know why these fainting spells were occurring. The first time it happened, she thought it was from the heat of an unusually warm post-summer day. The second time, she wrote it off from a dissatisfying lunch. But this time she had no excuse or explanation. When she finally came to, her sense of hearing gradually returned to her. She waited for its full return before opening her eyes.

"Mr. Schue, if I may," she heard her longtime rival piped up. "I understand that Mercedes is captain of our glee club, but if these…episodes keep happening how are we supposed to be given confidence when our leader can't even make it through rehearsals?"

"Lay off, Rachel," warned Mercedes' closest friend, Kurt Hummel.

As Mercedes' cracked her eyes open, she heard their teacher, Mr. Schuester, say, "Kurt's right, Rachel—as much as I understand where you're coming from, Mercedes will be alright." His eyes then went to his leading lady and relief subtly overcame him. "You need to go see the nurse, Mercedes."

She blinked slowly a few times and nodded her head; as she made to sit up, she felt a pair of capable hands grip the back of her arms and help her to her feet. She looked over her shoulder and cast a grateful smile, "Thanks, Joe."

"No problem," he replied, giving her a smile in return.

"Get well soon, Mercedes," she heard Kurt quietly plea behind her.

Joe escorted her from the auditorium to the nurse's office. The nurse had become familiar with Mercedes by now and offered to call her mom before even asking what had happened.

"Just lie here and rest, sweetheart," droned the elder woman.

Mercedes obeyed, seeing as she didn't really have any other options. She stared at the ceiling and sighed, wondering how she was going to maintain her 4.2 GPA if she kept having to go home. And as irritating as Rachel was, she had a point—she couldn't be much of a leader to the glee club if she was passing out halfway through rehearsals. Sectionals was coming up, along with the fall production of Chicago and Mercedes had the role she wanted—Matron Mama Morton. She didn't want to give up her solo number; her lines of narrating events in the production or even her duet with Rachel who bitterly landed the role of Velma Kelly, while Mercedes' dear friend, Tina Cohen-Chang was given the coveted Roxie Hart role.

Performing was important to Mercedes. She had worked hard the previous three years in high school, and this year was especially important to her. On top of it being her senior year, she had plans of applying to four schools around the country: UCLA, NYU, Ohio State, and Morris Brown, all the while hoping to obtain scholarships for music. Singing—making music, had been a dream of hers ever since she joined her church's choir at the age of 8. Now she was lying on this cold, uncomfortable vinyl and tissue-covered bed, wondering what was going on with her and if it was going to jeopardize her future in the long run.

"Okay, sweetheart," the nurse spoke in her monotonous nasal voice, interrupting Mercedes' thoughts. "I spoke to your mother—she's on her way to come get you."

"Thank you," Mercedes replied in a hoarse voice.

The nurse wandered away again and Mercedes shut her eyes, saying a silent prayer that she would be okay; come hell or high water, she was going to graduate at the top of her class and go on to make a career out of her passion.

* * *

His breaths were hard and heavy. His bent arms swung with each long stride he took. It was the first time in a long time he felt confident he could pick up on his old routine of jogging around the neighborhood. He slowed down as he reached the front yard of his little Lima cottage, cutting across the lawn to get to the front door. He cocked his head from side to side, stretching the muscles and performed a few jumping jacks before reaching to the strap on his thick bicep to shut off his iPod.

"Hey Sam!"

The blond-headed male looked up and saw his next door neighbor, Quinn Fabray tipping a watering can over her rose bush while waving at him with her free hand. Sam smiled and waved back, "Hi Quinn."

"Good to see you out and about again. How are you feeling?"

"Never better, thanks." He huffed with one nod, still trying to catch his breath. He reached in the pocket of his jogging shorts and pulled out his key to let himself in. With a vague glance about the white and rustic gold motif of his home, he made his way up the stairs to shower. As he stood under the hot rushing water, his mind flashed back to what his life looked like almost two years ago.

_He couldn't ignore his headaches anymore. They evolved into frequent migraines and one day, he collapsed to the floor, seizing violently by the dinner table of his parents' home. His longtime girlfriend rushed to call 9-1-1 and his younger siblings went into a panic along with his mother. An ambulance arrived and rushed him to the hospital, taking him directly to the emergency room. To the shock of him and his loved ones, through several tests and scans it was discovered that he cancerous tumor growing on his head. The doctors informed him that it was treatable and could be safely removed, given that he go through some chemotherapy._

_His girlfriend feared for the treatment, as did Sam but the odds for survival would be in his favor if he were to endure it, and so he did. _

_The decline in his health was stressing out his loved ones; they didn't say it to him directly, but he knew. At this point, he wanted to give up. He was sick of making them feel anguished and worried. He was sick of feeling tired and useless all the time. He hated that his hair had been falling out so much that he ended up having it all shaved. He hated that everyone around him was always pretending to be okay when there was evidence to the contrary dressed all over their face. His mother and father spoke quietly about his conditions on nights when they stayed with him in the hospital and assumed him to be sleeping. He heard them comment on how unfair it was for their son to be going through such an ordeal at 20. They were so proud of him and his best buddy, Puck pursuing their own comic book company immediately after high school; to see it possibly end soon—for Sam at least—was devastating for them, and he felt no different on the matter. He missed hanging out with his friends and worried the business was going to fail under his absence. Puck and he had worked hard throughout high school, creating, developing and publishing their own independent comics, and it only paid off significantly once they graduated and decided to sell one superhero's story to Marvel._

_After months of chemo, being in and out of the hospital, he was finally cleared for the removal of his tumor which led to a long road of recovery. He made a steady incline on his health and at age 22, he was in complete remission. In addition to recovering from the surgery, he spent the next year, building his strength back up, and making plans to start a family with his girlfriend. _

He was young, healthy now but his two-plus years of dealing with cancer and a tumor made his hopes of having a family amplify. He wanted to get married one day but his girlfriend was happy with them being the way they were, and was okay with having a child out of wedlock. Sam quieted on his hopes of marrying her anytime soon but he remained verbal on his desire for children. They began trying as soon as possible, but the pregnancy test results were either negative or a false positive.

Sam thought about this, and the tension it caused between his girlfriend and him, as he stepped out of the shower and dried off. They had a number of arguments—both about having a baby as well as minor, insignificant things. She had gone to the doctors several times to find out possible diagnoses to why she couldn't conceive, but no official explanation was offered to her. All they were left with were that some eggs are not very receptive to sperm; from there they were given suggestions of adoption and surrogacy. His girlfriend feebly proposed a surrogate to carry their child and while he didn't catch her lack of enthusiasm over the suggestion, he was more than willing to go through the process of surrogacy.

"You home, Sam?" He heard from downstairs, followed by the closing of the front door.

Sam was fastening his belt as he replied, "Yeah, up here."

"Okay. I'm gonna freshen up before they get here," his girlfriend, Janelle replied, coming up the stairs.

He pulled a blue fitted v-neck over his head and went back to the bathroom; for a moment his green hues gazed at his reflection in the mirror. He was glad his hair grew fast; most of it had grown back, save the three-inch scar running from the hallow of his right ear towards the middle of his head.

"Hey you," he heard at his left.

"Hey," Sam smiled softly and stepped over to peck her lips. She was a petite blonde with blue-green eyes and a faint sprinkle of freckles on her cheeks. They met each other in high school and carried on an interesting relationship over the past four years—breaking up and getting back together twice before Sam and Puck received a generous payment for their comic. Sam's persistence to have a family nearly drove them to a third, and possibly final break-up but their recent fixation, more so Sam's, on surrogacy kept them together.

"What time's the first girl coming over?" asked Janelle.

"Noon. We're only interviewing three people."

"I know."

He looked at her but she wasn't looking at him. Her back was turned as she changed out of her chef's uniform and shimmied into a form-fitting dress. Sam's brows rose at her choice of outfit.

Janelle turned around and quickly picked up on his expression, "What?"

"Nothing, just…well we're meeting people to potentially carry our kid."

"So?"

"So…don't you think we should try to make a good impression?" he asked with a hesitant smile.

Janelle found nothing humorous in his criticism of her outfit. "Sam there's nothing wrong with what I have on. Everything's covered and I'm comfortable. If they don't like how I dress then they're not the one to carry our kid and we move on to the next one."

He watched her storm out of the room, trailing a stream of fury with her. Sighing, he spritzed a light amount of Axe across his chest and followed after, doing his best to push aside her irritation. Today, he was going to meet the woman who was going to give him the child he craved.

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_**Please leave reviews! What do you think so far? I know exactly where this story is going, so of course there is more to come! Let me know if you're intrigued for more or not. Apologies for any spelling/grammar errors**_.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Supremely flattered by the feedback this fic is already receiving! My email inbox blew up with notifications of story alerts, reviews and so-on. Thanks so much! Stick with me you guys—this fic will be full of some twists. I hope you'll continue to enjoy and review! **_

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"Mercedes Jones?"

The curvaceous teen looked up from the salt and pepper-designed carpet to make eye contact with the nurse who called her name. She stood up, taking one wary glance back at her mom. Mrs. Jones nodded encouragingly and asked, "Are you sure you don't want me to come back there with you?"

Mercedes nodded, "Yeah. I'll be back out." She faced the nurse who summoned her and wandered through the clinic doors. After having her blood pressure taken and her body weighed, she was shown to a private room and asked to change into the thin blue material folded on the vinyl and paper-lined bed.

"The doctor will be in with you shortly," informed the nurse before leaving.

Still feeling a bit unsteady from passing out, Mercedes took her time to change clothes and sat sideways on the bed. The lack of backside coverage provided by the gown made her uncomfortable but fortunately she didn't have long to wait before two knocks told her that her doctor was on the other side, ready to see her.

"Come in," Mercedes said.

Her doctor entered the room and after greeting her, she asked what seemed to be the problem.

"I'm not really sure. I've been fainting a lot lately. And…" Mercedes hesitated for a moment and then sighed, "Dr. Johnson, I don't wanna keep going home. I've started out this year at the top of my class and there's a lot I've got going for me right now. All the fainting I've been doing has got me worried that it's gonna mess up my senior year."

"What activities and classes are you involved in at school, Mercedes?"

"I'm taking six classes—four AP classes, plus Art 2 and Glee Club, and I'm in the school's production of _Chicago_."

"Wow—you're a busy girl. _Four _AP classes?"

She nodded, "Yeah, AP English, AP Bio, AP Government and AP U.S. History."

Her doctor nodded as well, "I'm impressed. And is there anything else that's been going on in your life lately? Family issues, relationship troubles, sick pet?"

Mercedes bit her lip out of nervous habit. She didn't want talk about the other events that have been occurring recently at school, so she lied. "No. Everything's fine. It's just the fainting."

Her doctor didn't seem to notice her hesitance so she went on. "So describe to me what you're feeling before you faint."

Taking a deep breath, Mercedes thought aloud, "Well…I start to feel sick, like I might throw up. Then my head starts to hurt like someone's squeezing my brain to the rhythm of my heart. Then the next thing I know, my legs turn into noodles and I'm on the ground."

"And this has been the case every time that you've passed out?"

She nodded.

"Does your stomach hurt when you feel sick?"

"Yes. It sort of feels like cramps."

Her doctor scribbled notes on her clipboard and after a few more inquiries, she looked back up at Mercedes. "Is it possible that you're pregnant?"

Mercedes' eyes bulged, "What? Nooo, no, no. Definitely not."

Dr. Johnson chuckled, "Alright. So you haven't been sexually active?"

"No." Her cheeks were burning as she tried to remain calm but was clearly unnerved.

"And when was the first day of your last menstrual cycle?"

Again Mercedes bit her lip, "Two days ago." She didn't know why but any discussions that revolved around her period always made her slightly uncomfortable.

Her doctor wrote a bit more and while taking out her flashlight to check Mercedes' pupils and ears, she told her, "So, based off of what you've told me, it sounds like you have what's known as a hormonal imbalance. It can be the result of a variety of things, but given your school schedule and extracurricular activities, I would presume that yours is stress-induced. I'm sure lightening your academic load is not an option you're willing to afford yourself?"

"No," she agreed, shaking her head.

Dr. Johnson pursed her lips, clicking the light off and freeing her hands for her stethoscope. "Very well. What I can do is prescribe a shot to help balance out your estrogen. You'll have to come back next week after your cycle has ended however."

Mercedes' brows furrowed, "Why?"

As her doctor prepared to check her heart rate, she answered, "Because we'll be injecting the shot directly into your uterus. While on your cycle, your body is likely to flush out the medicine. I'll make the appointment for next Friday—afternoon, so you won't have to miss school. Also, I'll give you a pamphlet with tips for stress relief that you can do at home; breathing exercises, meditating and things like that."

Relief washed over Mercedes. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for the frigid coolness of the stethoscope but inside she was grateful that her diagnosis was minor and easily treatable. She wasn't going to further jeopardize her position as Glee Club captain and she wasn't going to lose her role of Mama Morton. The day had taken a turn for the better and for that, she could smile through the remainder of her appointment.

* * *

"Thank you for your time Ms. Pepper," said Sam while extending his right hand.

The slender woman returned the hand shake and smiled sweetly to him before turning to leave. As soon as Sam closed the front door, Janelle let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Well _she's_ definitely not the one."

"You didn't have to insult her, babe," muttered Sam.

Janelle shrugged, "Look I'm just thinking about our future child. If they're gonna have half of her DNA I don't want them to possibly end up having a pinched up, beady-eyed mouse face." As she stood up with her mug she added, "Besides, did you read her health record? Asthma trends in her family. Our kid could end up being that Wheezy child who gets made fun of for carrying an inhaler. And what kinda name is Susie Pepper anyway? Sounds sketch if you ask me."

As Sam took a seat on the couch again, he pushed a hand up his forehead and through his thin crop of hair. "No one's gonna be one hundred percent perfect, okay? I want someone healthy and with good genes too but I can at least accept that people have their flaws."

"Flaws that won't be passed on to our kid," retorted Janelle from the kitchen.

Sam rolled his eyes. "We still have one more person to see." He picked up the white folder and opened it, "

"This is ridiculous. Why don't we just ask one of our friends to carry our bastard?"

He narrowed his eyes; when it came to having kids he hated when Janelle referred to them as bastards. "Cut it out, Janelle. And I don't think asking our friends would be a good idea."

"Why not? I think it's perfect. We could trust our friends and most of them are okay-looking."

Sam arched a brow, "So you'd be okay letting someone like…say, Quinn carry our baby?"

Janelle's face soured—the exact reaction Sam expected. "Blech, no! You know I can't stand her prissy little Stepford Wife attitude, and besides, she looks like she could be your twin. That'd be weird for our baby to look like they could also be your niece."

At her words, Sam's face was nearly stuck on a bitter expression—lips parted, nose scrunched, brows drawn together. For one, he didn't see a problem with having a child that looked like they could also be his niece or nephew; it only further confirmed that they were related. And second, he liked Quinn and thought she was a great friend and neighbor. He shook his head and pursed his lips to swallow back the response he wanted to give which would have been, "_You don't exactly look like you're far from my family tree._" But he knew she would only find a way to throw it back in his face.

While grinding his teeth together the door bell rang and Sam stood up to answer it. After smoothing out his tousled hair again, he opened the door to reveal a short, dark-haired woman with tawny skin and large, almond-shaped eyes. Sam smiled at her and held his hand out while thinking to himself, "_She looks really…really young_."

"Hi, you must be Ms. Corazon?"

She returned the smile and shook his hand, "Yes—call me Sunshine though."

Sam stepped aside and welcomed her in. After following her into the living room, he gestured a hand out in front of him and said, "This is my girlfriend, Janelle."

Sunshine smiled a bit wider and held her hand out, to Janelle but Janelle merely feigned a quick smile and sat down on the couch with her mug of tea.

"Can I get you something to drink?" asked Sam, to which Sunshine shook her head.

He could feel more tension radiating from Janelle but he did his best to ignore her while he opened Sunshine's folder again. "So it says here that you're 25, and you give voice and clarinet lessons?"

Sunshine nodded with a nervous smile. "Yes, I mean I love to sing and I used to play clarinet so I give lessons but I'm actually waiting for another job to come through."

"Oh?" Sam relaxed against the back of the couch, "What's the job for?"

"It's a teaching position at my high school Alma matter—Carmel High School. They're looking for someone to head the arts, so I'll know next week whether I got the job or not."

"Carmel…you weren't in their glee club, Vocal Adrenaline, were you?"

Sunshine perked up, "I was!"

Sam chuckled, "No kidding? I was in New Directions at the time. Well...you're two years older than me but. Wow."

"That's really cool!"

His recollection seemed to put Sunshine at ease significantly. They went on with the interview while occasionally reminiscing on how their former glee club days differed from one another. To Sam's surprise, Janelle hadn't interjected once through their banter but he did notice that she looked about as entertained as watching paint dry.

As it seemed like things were wrapping up with the interview, Sam asked, "Did you have any questions for Janelle or I?"

Sunshine's smile faltered slightly, "Just two. If that's okay."

"He wouldn't have offered if it weren't," mumbled Janelle.

Sunshine blushed deeply but Sam ignored his girlfriend's remark for the time being and gave Sunshine an encouraging nod to proceed.

"Um…well first I was wondering why you two were looking for a surrogate? I mean, I read about your illness Mr. Evans—"

"Call me Sam."

"—and I am so sorry for what you went through. But that didn't affect your um…"

"Ability to reproduce?" he suggested with a faintly amused smirk. "We don't think so. It was a possibility for my cancer treatments to have an effect on my sperm but...that's not the issue for why we haven't been able to conceive on our own."

He made a deliberate point not to make any eye contact or head turning in his girlfriend's direction but somehow he figured Sunshine would put the pieces together.

"I see," she finally said, taking a look at Janelle, only to see the blonde girl seething in her seat. "I guess that kind of answered my second question…"

"Which was?" wondered Sam.

"I um…I wanted to know if this conception was going to even be possible with your sperm, given the possibility that you underwent chemotherapy. I did some reading before applying to be your surrogate and…I'd read that sperm can be affected by chemo treatment."

Sam nodded, "That's true." His green hues lowered to the floor and he smiled at nothing that was particularly humorous.

"I'm sorry if I'm asking too much," mumbled Sunshine.

"No, it's okay. You have the right to know if we choose you to be our surrogate. And it's true that that's a possibility. I'd been told before I started treatment that that was a potential side effect of the chemo. And for a long time I've known that I wanted kids so…before I started treatment I went to a clinic to have some of my sperm preserved."

"You _what?_!"

Sunshine and Sam both jumped when Janelle shrieked, rising to her feet.

Sam glared up at her, chagrinned by the outburst in front of Sunshine. "I froze some of my sp—"

"Yeah I heard you!" snapped Janelle. "I can't believe you never told me!"

"I didn't tell anybody, Janelle. The only other person who knew was my mom and that's only because it was her idea in the first place. Why are you so mad?"

"Um, I don't know—maybe because I'm your _girlfriend _and this whole time we'd been trying with your chemo sperm, you had perfectly fine sperm stashed away and never bothered to tell me!" She was fuming like a raging bull and Sam was her bright red target.

Sam tore his furious and embarrassed gaze from Janelle and forced an apologetic grimace on as he looked to Sunshine. "Thanks for your time today, Sunshine and I'm sorry for what's just happened. But I promise to give you a call once we've made a decision."

Taking the obvious hint, Sunshine stood up from the adjacent loveseat and made haste in front of Sam to the door.

"Thanks for the consideration, Sam," she answered politely and turned to leave.

Sam quietly closed the door behind her but the apologies he wore on his face for Sunshine vanished the moment he returned to the living room. "You think you could've exploded a little louder next time? I think she could've been the one."

"Don't you _dare_ make this about me and what I did, Samuel Evans!"

"Why shouldn't I?" he spat back. "You could've waited until she was gone to bite my head off but nooo, you lay into me in front of a woman who could possibly give us our family—"

"Give you your family!" shouted Janelle. "You want the kids! You're the one who went into obsessive, gotta-be-a-daddy-now-because-I'm-still-alive mode, Sam! Not me!"

Sam stepped to her, "You're right! You're so fucking right because you're always right! And you know what? Yeah, going through the shit I went through and almost losing my life _did_ make me want a family badly! Fucking sue me if I wanna make the most of my life while I have one, Janelle!"

She hissed, shaking her head at him, "Yeah and who gives a shit about me, right? I can't give you a goddamn kid but you'll take anyone who can. So long as Sammy gets what Sammy wants then it's too fucking bad for anyone else who gets in his way."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean? What'd I _ever_ do to make you feel like you couldn't still have things you wanted? When did I not support you going to culinary school? I _always_ did! When did I push you into marrying me when you said you didn't want to, hm? I didn't! When did I ever blame you for us not being able to have our own kid? _NEVER_! When did I not treat you like a fucking queen, your highness? So don't act like I'm some shitty-ass boyfriend who never treated you right."

His words cut deep into her; he was beyond livid, to the point where his head was pounding and he had to force his hands into fists to keep her from seeing them shake.

Janelle's eyes watered up as she and Sam faced off. She shook her head more and without another word, she stepped away, making quick strides to the kitchen. Sam watched her go from where his feet were rooted. She quickly returned with her purse stuff under her arm, chanting "I'm done," under her breath, and as she stomped her way to the front door she glared at him. After opened the front door, she pierced Sam's face with a burning gaze and spat, "Fuck you Sam Evans. Have fun starting this family without me because I'm _done!_"

The front door slammed hard enough rattle the frame. Sam closed his eyes, counting very slowly to ten in whispers. But no amount of counting could keep away the thoughts that came rushing to his head. _What now?  
Is she really gone?  
Is this really it?  
What am I gonna tell all those surrogate people?  
Can I do this alone?  
Fuck Janelle—I don't need her.  
What now?  
I can't do this alone.  
I could be a single dad. It's been done before.  
What now?  
I should call my mom and dad.  
All her shit's still here though. Dammit.  
If I bring a kid in this world, they should have their mom.  
What if I screw up by myself?  
__**What now?**_

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_**Please leave me reviews! Confused? Don't worry; as promised in chapter 1, all will come together in due time! Thanks so much for the overwhelming amount of love/intrigue/feedback that this fic's already gotten. Keep the reviews coming! They drive me to write more!  
**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Haha I love reading your reviews with predictions and thoughts/feelings on the fic so far. Please do keep 'em coming! Reviews = motivation for me! Enjoy this next chapter & my apologies for any errors! :)**_

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Mercedes walked through the McKinley halls, heading to her locker. She'd made it through the last day of the week without fainting or feeling sick and was looking forward to a weekend of plowing through her homework and relaxing. All she had to do was endure through next Friday and she would be better. As she reached her locker, someone passed her by muttering, "Bitch."

She whipped her head to the right in time to see her burly, nearly bald ex-boyfriend lumber past with his fellow football players. Mercedes grimaced and turned back to her locker. She had grown tired of his begrudging attitude towards her ever since the night they broke up.

_They were sitting in the parking lot of the drive-in, watching _Captain America: The First Avenger,_ and while Mercedes was truly engrossed in the movie, she was also subtly aware of his gradual advance to get intimate with her. His hand moved from across her shoulders to rest on her thigh. She glanced down at his hand and pretended not to notice. During an intense moment of watching Captain America lose his best friend to the snowy canyons, Mercedes' attention was entirely derailed by her boyfriend's hand sliding towards her inner thigh and giving it a squeeze._

"_Stop," she promptly whispered, moving his hand towards her knee instead._

"_C'mon, baby," he begged in his low baritone voice. His face leaned towards hers and she felt his face whiskers tickle her skin. _

_She cringed away with a faint smile, despite her genuine irritation. "Stop it, Shane."_

_He sighed, pulling his hand away. "Why you gotta be like that, Mercy?"_

"_I wanna watch the movie," she hissed._

"_We'll come see it again," replied Shane, tracing a finger along her jaw line._

_Mercedes shrugged away, "Shane, I already told you before. I'm not ready for that."_

"_It's not like I'm gonna hurt you."_

_She heard his frustration and knew there was no way they were going to get back to enjoying the movie. Turning her body to face him in the seat of his F-150, she looked him dead in his eyes and said, "It's not about you hurting me, Shane. It's about me feeling comfortable to get that close to you and I'm not!"_

"_Well what the fuck do I have to do to make you comfortable enough? It's been four months—I'm tired of waiting."_

_Mercedes' brows shot up, "Is there some kind of checkpoint in this relationship? I guess I missed that talk 'cause I didn't know we had to have sex once we reached four months."_

_Shane was shaking his head, looking fiercely angered by her sarcasm. "I didn't say that," he muttered through clenched teeth._

"_You might as well have," she retorted._

_The two said nothing to each other for several long seconds; Mercedes folded her arms tightly across her chest and finally broke the silence. "I want to go home."_

"_No, fuck that. I paid for this damn movie!"_

"_You're not even watching it!" she yelled. "Take me home, Shane!"_

"_Take me home, Shane," he mocked in a terrible impression of her. _

"_You're such a baby," she muttered._

_Before she could finish rolling her eyes, Shane had seized her arm._

"_What the hell are you doing?" she asked, straining to keep her voice calm._

_He was glaring her down and for a moment Mercedes wondered if he was blacking out. She shook her arm to try and jerk it free but when that didn't work, she demanded, "Let me go, Shane. Now!"_

_He huffed several vehement breaths before finally letting go with a shove of her arm. "Fuck you, Mercedes."_

_While she rubbed her arm, he jammed his key into the ignition, let the engine roar to life and peeled out of the drive-in parking lot._

By the time he got her back home, they were no longer an item; they fought up until he insulted her, calling her a 'fucking prude' and broke things off. In response, she slammed his door with all the force she could muster, and half ran to the front door of her parents' home. Upon her return to school, she learned from her best friend, Kurt, that Shane had to get his passenger window replaced, and also spent the remainder of the summer spreading rumors about Mercedes to the football team—also known as the quickest and loudest network for the school's gossip. So she started off her senior being known as H.R.T. by the jocks, initials for "Her Royal Tight-ass."

One thing about high school that she _was_ thankful for, was that most gossip and news died off as quickly as it flared up. She held her head high; rather than respond or report it, she did her best to ignore their remarks and focus on achieving her goal of valedictorian by the end of the school year. It helped when the football team bombed their first game of the season; their taunting fell quiet as the hockey team began taking shots at them for their shameful loss to rival school Carmel High.

"Mercedes!"

She looked to her left and saw her best friend making his way to her. Abandoning her recollections, she smiled, "What up, Kurt?"

"Hi!" He started with a huff from pushing his way through the crowded hall, and then immediately went on, speaking at a rapid pace. "So, I have a date with Blaine this weekend…"

She rolled her eyes but said in a sing-song voice, "Fun."

"Yeah! So, "I was wondering…"

"If I can babysit Blaine's little sister?"

"For the weekend?"

"_What_?" she stopped in her tracks. Kurt stopped too and stuck his bottom lip out. "Ohhh don't give me that puppy dog look, Kurt! The whole weekend? Where are you two going?"

Kurt bit his lip, "Well…his parents have this really nice cabin and they're out of town for the weekend, soooo Blaine wants to take me up there but he can't if he ends up stuck watching his sister." He clasped his hands together in the prayer position, "Please, please, please?"

"Kurt," Mercedes grimaced, "I have a pile of homework and a really important Bio test to study for this weekend. I'm not gonna get it done if I have to watch Justine too."

"The test is Tuesday, right?"

She stared warily, "Yes, Tuesday."

"Perfect! Listen, Mercedes I swear, I'll pay you _and_ I'll even come help you study for the test after we come back Sunday, and on Monday. Please, please, please Mercedes?"

"Okay!" She gave in with a warning finger, "But Kurt, if I bomb this test, you have to come over next Friday with me to my doctor's appointment and bake me cookies and watch movies with me afterwards."

With little jumps up and down, Kurt said, "I'll do all that regardless! You're not gonna bomb it by the way. You know the genetics chapter like I know fashion trends—it'll be a cake walk, Mercedes."

She rolled her eyes again and smiled as he quickly moved to hug her. As they continued on to their final classes of the day, Mercedes mumbled to him, "How you landed yourself that preppy college boy, I'll never know."

"What do you mean? Blaine's fantastic," Kurt replied defensively.

Mercedes linked arms with him, offering another smile, "I know. You two were practically made for each other, it's almost scary at times. So enjoy your weekend at the cabin. Justine and I are gonna have a fabulous 'No Boys Allowed' weekend."

Kurt smiled back at her, "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"Ohhh only a dozen times, Ivory. Maybe two dozen."

"Well get used to it, Ebony." He winked, freeing her to her classroom, "See you after school."

* * *

"Come on, Sam—open up! I know you're in there!"

After several more times of pounding his fist on the door, Puck shoved a hand deep in his pocket and produced a key. He let himself into his friend's home and looked around. Two sniffs and he was already wrinkling his nose. It smelt of days-old garbage and when he looked around at the living room, it was littered with crumpled papers, a few beer bottles and a grease-stained half-empty pizza box. Puck shook his head, "Sam!"

No answer.

He crossed the room and took to the stairs, calling his friend's name once more; this time he heard the groan of metal that suggested movement in the master bedroom. When Puck pushed the door wide open, he saw Sam—or a mound of blankets with blond hair sticking up near the pillows—and internally relaxed. Outwardly, he was groaning angrily, "Dude, it's the middle of the day. What are you doing? Get out of bed, Cap."

"No."

Puck strode to Sam's bedside and yanked at the blankets. Sam reacted quickly and the two fought over the covers but Puck won and sent the blankets flying completely off the bed. He stared at his boxer-clad buddy and shook his head. The man was a mess in every sense of the word.

"Ass."

"Punk," he retorted. "Are you seriously acting like this 'cause of Linda Blair?"

Sam groaned, "Just leave me alone, Noah."

"Noah?" Puck arched a brow and sat on the end of the bed, "Why so formal? You're Cap and I'm Tony."

"Not today."

Puck ground his teeth and slapped Sam's shin with all the force he could muster. His expression didn't change even after Sam sprang up, shocked and vehement.

"OW! WHAT THE HELL!"

"Stop acting like a bitch about this!" demanded Puck. "She did you a favor by leaving—damn, bro!"

Sam rubbed his leg while yelling, "Just because we were rocky lately doesn't mean this doesn't suck, okay?"

"You guys were _always_ rocky! Jesus Christ, dude! How many break-ups with her was it gonna take for you to get that? She only stuck with you 'cause we banked on _Chronic Chameleons_ and aside from wanting a kid, I can only think you stuck with her 'cause you're a glutton for punishment."

Sam clenched his jaw, refusing to meet his best friend's harsh gaze. He slowly began to count to ten in his head but in the intervals of every number he counted up to, his mind would chant about 10, "He's right"s. Once he reached ten, Sam closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "She's gone. She came and got her stuff the other day and I made her leave her key. I dunno what I'm gonna do, Tony."

"Yeah you do," Puck replied in a stern but kinder tone than before. "You're gonna get off your ass and shower first. Then you're gonna clean up your place. If you're gonna bring a kid into the world, you need to work on your housekeeping skills."

Sam moved to let his legs hang over the side of his bed. "Anything else, Dad?"

"Yeah, you're gonna babysit this weekend for Lauren and I."

"Uh," Sam's brows furrowed. "Where are you two going?"

Puck's head shook, "Poor Cap. She's really fucked with your head." He sighed, "We're going to that conference this weekend for the Spring Comic-Con preparations. If you and I are gonna reserve ourselves a spot, you or I have to go to rep. We talked about this, remember?"

Sam nodded, rubbing the stubble on his chin, "Yeah, I remember now."

"Good. Then get up. I gotta pick up Abby from day care soon and Lauren and I leave for New Jersey tonight."

"I dunno, man," Sam's face looked vacant—far more abnormal than his usual vivacity. "Why don't you have Finn and Quinn watch her this weekend? I think she'd have more fun with them."

"No can do, bro."

"Why not?"

Puck turned to look at the floor for a moment and then looked back to Sam. "I just don't think it'd be a good idea…y'know, considering what Quinn and I went through in the past with Beth."

Sam immediately regretted his suggestion; his features dropped to a frown, "I'm sorry, man."

Puck waved him off, "It's cool. Beth's in good hands and Quinn and I get that. It's just...I don't think it'd be right having her and Finn watch my kid."

"I get what you mean. Sorry." He ran a hand down his face and said, "Don't worry. I'll watch her. I'll get this place together before you guys go. I just…"

He felt Puck's eyes on him but he hadn't returned the gaze as he said, "Janelle's gone and we'd just finished interviewing our possible surrogate moms and the procedure's already scheduled for next week. Now I'm not even sure I should go through with making a choice. I mean what if the one I want decides she doesn't want to support single parenting or something? Or what if I end up getting a kid and I just screw up its life because it won't have a mom?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Puck put a hand up and shook his head. "First off, Linda Blair never had any business trying to reproduce, let alone be a mom. Bitch is _every _level of crazy."

Sam pursed his lips but said nothing in her defense. Puck was always shameless about talking crap about Janelle and until recently, Sam would usually try to appease his remarks.

"Second," proceeded Puck, "if the incubator you pick changes her mind 'cause you wanna go ahead as a single dad then screw her! Not literally, unless that's your thing but…you know what I mean. Forget her and find someone else. And last, don't trip about being a possible screw-up. My mom pretty much raised my sibs and I and we're not all total screw-ups."

Sam chuckled, "Well…your brother and sister turned out alright at least."

"Fuck you," Puck replied with a smirk.

"No thanks," replied Sam. "Now get outta my room. I don't put on strip shows for just anyone." He stood from his bed smirking and snatched up a body towel from his hamper. But as he heard Puck walk away, he looked back at his best friend and said, "Thanks, Tony."

Puck turned back to nod once as he reminded him, "We're bros, Cap."

As Sam wandered into the bathroom, he took his phone with him, scrolled through his list of contacts and found the one he wanted. Puck gave him the kick in the ass that he needed; deep down he knew he could do this, but he struggled to fight the doubt that flooded his mind once Janelle walked out of his life. His goal to have a family wasn't going away though; he was determined, and once out of the shower, he would be prepared to call Sunshine Corazon.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! I've been reading each and every one of yours and I'm very grateful and amused by the predictions and feedback. Even greater revelations and encounters will unfold in the next chapter!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Thanks a ton for the feedback/reviews, and story alerts everyone! I'm glad so many of you are enjoying it and intrigued! The use of the term "surrogate" vs. "donor" was brought to my attention so I decided to look up the medical definition for a surrogate mother and this is what I found: "**_A woman who helps a couple to have a child by carrying to term an embryo conceived by the couple and transferred to her uterus, **or by being inseminated with the man's sperm** and either donating the embryo for transfer to the woman's uterus **or carrying it to term**."_**So by this definition, I believe using the term 'surrogate' as I've been using would still be accurate. I'm not a pro/genius on medical terms so if I'm wrong about the use of surrogate vs. donor, I apologize! Enjoy this next chapter. :)**_

* * *

"Let's go swing, 'Cedes!"

Blaine's four year-old sister Justine tugged on Mercedes' hand in an attempt to get her off the park bench. The young girl had thick, dark brown ringlets that barely touched her shoulders and just like her brother, she had light, hazel eyes. She had an abundance of energy and Mercedes was happy to let her burn a lot of it off at the park while she tried to cram in a little bit of studying. Unfortunately she ended up leaving her Biology book on the bench to follow Justine to the nearby swing set.

The little girl sat down and anxiously waited for Mercedes to start pushing her.

"I want grilled cheese, 'Cedes."

Mercedes gently pulled back on the chains, smiling, "Okay we'll do grilled cheese for lunch today."

"'Cedes what day is it?"

"You tell me, Jussy," she replied, still smiling.

As the little girl breezed back and forth through the air, she told her, "I onno."

"Well…yesterday was Friday, right?"

"Yeahhh."

"And tomorrow's Sunday, so that would make today…?"

Justine thought for several seconds before perking up, "Saturday!"

Mercedes giggled softly, "That's right, it's Saturday." She continued gently pushing Justine forward whenever she swung back while her eyes glanced beyond the set to check on her abandoned stack of homework. The light breeze was lifting her notebook open but not enough for her to worry.

"Sing a song, 'Cedes!"

"What do you want me to sing?" she asked.

Justine told her again, "I onno!" making Mercedes giggle.

"Okay hm…" she glanced to the side in thought and softly began to sing, "This Little Light of Mine."

As she sang to Justine, her eyes scanned about the park again; there were a few scattered clusters of parents and kids playing all around. Her pushing actions and singing became automatic while her attention focused on a man playing with his little girl near the bench. She smiled, watching him hold his daughter's hands, guiding her struggling walking steps in front of him on the cement path. The small girl hesitated with each step she took but it seemed like her dad was patient and enjoying their slow journey through the park.

Mercedes couldn't help noticing—as adorable as the small toddler was, her father was hard to look away from. When his arms moved, Mercedes could see the muscles of his biceps flex slightly. His blond hair fell into his bright green eyes whenever he bent his head to look at his daughter and his smile was absolutely gorgeous. For a moment, she wondered if he was even her father; he looked a little young to be a dad but these days, she couldn't assume anything. People her own age, and younger, were having kids…

"'Cedes, look! Look!"

Justine snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked down just as the little Anderson girl came swinging back to her. "What's up, Jussy?"

Justine's finger jutted out and Mercedes' eyes followed to see her notes being blown away by the breeze. The elder female gasped and quickly grabbed the swing chains. Her hand went to pull Justine off, "Come on, Justine!" she said in a whispered panic.

Together, the two ran to catch Mercedes' notes. "No, no, no!" she let go of Justine's hands to run a bit faster but the papers were flipping and dancing further away from her.

Over Justine's giggling, she heard a masculine voice say, "I got it!" Not one second later, the blond she was watching before, sprinted past and snatched up her notes and slowed down, turning to face her. In one hand, he had the sheets of paper and on his right hip he was holding his little girl, who seemed to be upset by their impromptu detour. He speed-walked back to Mercedes and held the papers out to her. "Here."

Mercedes worked to catch her breath and gladly accepted with a sigh of relief, "Thanks." She clutched the notes to her chest, "Ugh, I would've been screwed if I lost these."

He huffed a chuckle, catching his own breath, "What, are they _Arkham City_ cheat codes or something?"

She stared at him like he'd just garbled Mandarin; seeing him even closer than before, she was a little flustered so she just shook her head.

His smile faltered at her expression, "Well…I'm glad you got 'em back.

The little girl in his arms giggled and Mercedes broke out of her short stupor to smile at the small girl. Seeing her full in the face, she blinked with realization, "Hey Abby!" She looked back to the man who held her, "But…you're not her dad…?"

"Nope. Just call me Uncle Sam—er…Sam," he chuckled again. "Her dad and I are good friends. How do you know the Abbster?"

Mercedes looked over her shoulder to see Justine flounce over with the thick Biology textbook clutched to her chest. When she turned her attention back to Sam she said, "I babysat her a couple times. It's been a while; I almost didn't recognize her—she's gotten so big!"

Abby leaned away from Sam and reached for Mercedes. Mercedes quickly folded her notes, slipped them in her pocket and held her hands for the girl. "May I?"

Sam smirked, "Well, I dunno…I don't usually hand over kids to people who can't give me their name."

"Oh! Sorry," Mercedes laughed nervously.

"I'm kidding," replied Sam, chuckling with her. "But only a little bit."

Casting a charmed kind smile as Abby stretched herself half out of Sam's arms, Mercedes told him, "My name's Mercedes." She looked to Abby and kissed her on the cheek. "I miss you, Abby!"

Abby smiled her couple of teeth at Mercedes and babbled jovial tones; in return, Mercedes giggled and after seeing Justine appear at her side, told her, "I gotta go, Pretty Miss, but I'll see you soon, okay? Ask your Mommy to let me babysit for you."

She handed Abby back to Sam and said, "It was nice meeting you. Take care of Abby—she's a gem."

Sam nodded, taking the small girl back, "Don't I know it. She's in good hands while her mommy and daddy are gone." He stared at Mercedes once more and asked, "Are you friends with her mom?"

"Yeah. We went to the same high school when she was a senior and I was a freshman."

"Oh you went to McKinley too?"

"I'm there now," she corrected—her smile returning. Even as her hand reached to relieve Justine of the Biology book, she couldn't stop staring in his eyes. "I'm a senior."

"Ah. Class of 2012."

"Sort of."

His brows furrowed, "I don't get it. How are you 'sort of' class of 2012?"

"I'm planning to graduate early," she answered with a casual shrug. "I'll come back to walk with my friends though."

Sam nodded again, "Cool. Well…it was nice meeting you, Mercedes."

She nodded as well, "Nice meeting you too, Sam." His name rolled off her tongue with the return of her smile. They stared at one another until their loss for words grew awkward; Sam smiled and bobbed his head, carrying Abby away.

* * *

The remainder of the weekend flew by, and after Mercedes got through her AP Bio test, the rest of the week sped through 'til Friday. She went through one more fainting incident that week during blocking rehearsal for _Chicago_. Once school ended Friday afternoon, she met Kurt in the parking lot and together, they rode in her Equinox to the small neighboring town of Fort Shawnee, as per her doctor's instructions at the end of her last appointment. While driving to the sister clinic, Kurt and Mercedes talked about their college applications they were filling out early next month, as well as the fall musical opening in November. Mercedes knew that Kurt, Tina and Joe were bummed to know that she wouldn't be at school with them after winter break ended, but they knew she would still come to school for Glee club and wouldn't leave Lima until next fall, at least.

When they reached the Fort Shawnee clinic, Mercedes sent a text to her mom to let her know she'd made it and then headed in with her best friend. She checked herself in and took a seat beside Kurt, who had instantly gravitated to a _Vogue_ magazine on the waiting room table. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly through her mouth.

"Nervous?"

She nodded and leaned her head on Kurt's shoulder, "I don't like shots."

He reached over and rubbed her shoulder, "Hey at least it's just one shot. I read once that when you go to places like Africa, you have to get like…40 shots."

"Yeah but most of them are in your butt or something."

Kurt smirked, "Well…would you rather 40 in your butt or 1 in your gut?"

She raised her head so he could see her roll her eyes at him, "Boy you're trippin'. You already know my answer."

"Mhm, so don't be nervous. You're gonna be fine."

After a moment, she smiled and shook her head, "You always put things in some perspective that…oddly enough, seem to make me feel better."

"Hey," shrugged Kurt, "What are best friends f—"

"Mercedes?"

The curvaceous teen and her slender bestie turned their heads to the left to see Sam standing a few feet away from the check-in desk with a petite Asian girl at his side.

His eyes blinked and he cast a confused smile at her, "What are you doing here?"

Mercedes' mocked his confused smile as she jokingly answered, "Well, you know…I thought I'd take up knitting so I stopped by."

It took him a second to catch her joke and when he did, he rolled his eyes and smirked, "Very funny. I didn't mean it like that, just—I…"

"Was just saying 'hi'. I understand," she finished. "It's nice seeing you again."

Sam rubbed the back of his neck, "Heh, yeah you too."

Mercedes nodded and turned back to Kurt to give him a look that said, "Later."

"Mercedes Jones?"

Like déjà vu, Mercedes looked up at the calling of her name. Kurt gave her a quick rub on her back before she got up to follow the nurse to the back. As she approached the nurse, another nurse came bustling out, accidentally bumping Mercedes in the process.

"Sunshine Corazon?"

Mercedes pursed her lips with faint agitation from the clumsy nurse but she quickly brushed it off once she was brought into a room and was instructed to change from the waist, down.

"Just use that blue cover there and I'll be back to administer your shot."

Mercedes nodded and the nurse wandered out of the room. On her way to the lab to retrieve the prescribed syringe, her co-worker sauntered down the hall, "Nina! Hey, guess what?"

Nurse Nina looked like she had worked with one-too-many new nurses, "I'm not big on guessing games, Kate. What?"

"I'm doing my first A.I. today!" she squealed quietly and followed Nurse Nina inside the lab. She playfully rushed to the counter where their patients' labeled syringes were waiting. "This is so exciting! I am gonna be giving that cute guy out there a child! I heard he's had a rough past few years and he's only 23!" She frowned, picking up one of the syringes and vaguely glancing at the label.

"That's unfortunate," replied Nurse Nina. She stepped up to Nurse Kate, hoping she would step aside; when she didn't, Nurse Nina folded her arms and began tapping her foot.

"I mean how awful would it be to have such a terrible illness, right out of high school?"

"Very," she curtly replied.

"But now he's getting a baby! Well, not _right _now but…soon! Probably June…June, right? It's September now so…9 months from now would be—"

"Kate!" snapped Nurse Nina. Out of anger, she swiped up the remaining syringe and said, "Fascinating as this all is, I have my own patient to tend to so if you'll excuse me!"

Nurse Kate, crestfallen, frowned and stepped aside and then followed Nurse Nina out of the lab. They went their separate ways with Kate going to Sunshine and Nina returning to Mercedes.

She sat down beside the bed where Mercedes now lay and pulled her shirt up enough to sanitize the area around her pelvis. As she removed the cap from the needle, she explained, "This will be very quick, Mercedes. After I just want you to relax here for a couple of minutes, and then you can change and go home. Okay?"

Mercedes nodded to her and then resumed gazing at the ceiling. She sucked her stomach in slightly, reacting to the noticeable chill of the sanitizer, and then shut her eyes to focus on her breathing while the long needle pierced her skin. Several deep breaths later, the nurse was placing a quarter-sized bandage over the injection site and patted her arm.

"All done, dear. Remember, lie here for a few minutes and then you're free to leave. If you grow feverish or have any unusual symptoms over the next two days, call so we can have you come back."

"Thank you," replied Mercedes as the nurse left the room. As the door closed, Mercedes placed her hands on either side of her belly button and drew in some more deep breaths. Another wave of relief washed over her as it did at the end of her last appointment. If the medicine did as it was supposed to, her days of falling ill were over and she could go back to being completely excited about the musical and her high potential for graduating early. Most importantly to her, she could resume being the healthy, strong, conscious Glee club leader that she once was. She was on her way to finishing a successful senior year.

* * *

_**Please, please, please leave me reviews! I know this chapter was very Mercedes-focused. Have no fear, there will be more Sam in the next one! **_


	5. Chapter 5

"Sweetheart, shouldn't you be working on your comics or something? Perhaps that would help pass the time a little better."

Sam glanced towards the passenger's seat of his Frontier and shook his head, "Nah. Drawing doesn't help me relax when I'm excited, Mom. Usually when I'm upset or going nuts from boredom."

Mrs. Evans smiled at her son, "Well…I can't say I'm not a little bit excited for our little outing." As they turned into the Lima Bean Shopping Center, she softly told him, "You know, Samuel, your father and I truly are proud of you. And we know that things will feel overwhelming at times but just remember…you're not alone in this, okay?"

After parking in an empty stall, he looked to his mom again while shutting off the engine. "I know. Thanks. To be honest, I thought you and Dad were gonna be upset with me for going on with this without Janelle."

She shook her head, "The only thing we were upset about was Janelle's immature and condescending attitude towards you. But one way or another, your baby will have mother figures in its life. I'm here; your sister's going to be their aunt, and you have your friends, Quinn and Lauren, right?" She reached over and caressed her son's shoulder in a meaningful way. "You've always had a good head on your shoulder, Samuel. Even when your father and I have been apprehensive, you were always certain —like somehow you knew everything was going to work out. Your faith is something your father and I have always found to be one of your most endearing qualities that makes you who you are. Now do we think you're a little young to be starting a family? Of course, but trying to stop you would only make your father and I hypocrites."

Sam chuckled and his mom, Mary, blushed faintly.

"We're here for you, _and_ your family." She smiled and leaned across the gear shift panel to embrace her son in the strongest hug her slender arms could give.

Sam returned the hug and kissed his mom's cheek, thanking her once again. When they pulled away, he unbuckled his seat belt, smiling, "Okay. Babies 'R Us awaits!"

* * *

Hours later, on the warm early October afternoon, Sam and his mom returned to his home—the two of them carrying two bags each from the baby store.

"Hi there Sam! Hi Mrs. Evans!"

Both blond adults looked to their right to see Quinn out, pruning her flowers as she did every day. Sam nodded and Mary Evans raised one hand to wave, "Hello there, Quinn!"

"Today's the big day?"

Sam smiled and nodded, "Yep!"

Quinn beamed a smile back, "Sending my best."

After thanking her, Sam and his mother went inside and brought everything directly into the living room to display their recent purchases. Most of what was bought for the time being was books: baby name books, how-to books on being supportive through surrogate pregnancies, and of course, _What to Expect When You're Expecting_. Mrs. Evans gathered up the books in two neat stacks and placed them on the mantel above the fireplace while Sam picked up one of the baby name books and began thumbing through it.

His mom looked back at him, bemused, "It's a little early to be looking at names, Samuel. Don't you think you ought to wait until you know what you're having first?"

Sam shrugged, "What if I decide to wait until it's born to know that? I should have some names ready."

Mary Evans couldn't help smiling, amused as her son bent his head towards the book. Part of her, of course, wondered if he was using the book as his extended distraction from their much-anticipated call. To pass time for herself she wandered into his kitchen to make the two of them a snack. Her visits from Lexington were scarce in recent months but it felt nice to return to the home that once belonged to her parents; she couldn't put into words, the joy she felt when her son made the decision to spend his first big earnings putting a down payment on the home. It had once been weeks away from being possessed by the bank, but now it remained property of her family.

She resonated in these thoughts while preparing sandwiches for the two of them. When she finished, she carried two plates with turkey sandwiches on them and offered one to her son. "So, tell me a little more about this Sunshine, girl."

Sam shrugged as he took a bite, "Um…there's not much you don't already know, Mom. She's 25, just got a job at her old high school; really nice, healthy family history. Oh, she's an incredible singer!"

Mary smiled, "Is that so?"

"Yes, we met up for brunch the day of the procedure and she sang that one song, "Someone Like You" by Adele. Blew me outta the water."

"That's lovely. Is singing a passion of hers then?"

"Yeah, her new job's head of the arts department so she'll be teaching choir and drama and coaching their glee club, Vocal Adrenaline."

His mom's brows furrowed, "Vocal Adrenaline…why does that sound familiar…?"

"Probably because they're New Directions' rival," he replied with a bitter smirk. "Ever since Mr. Schue formed the N.D., we'd only beat Vocal Adrenaline once at Nationals and that was my senior year."

"Ahh yes, I remember that. You, Puck and Finn talked about strapping the trophy to the roof of your truck and driving it around town." She shook her head, still displaying disapproval for the stunt that never happened.

Sam chuckled but cut himself off when his phone buzzed on the coffee table glass. Right away, he looked to his mom—his heartbeat picking up as he set his plate down and picked up the phone. Sure enough, the number flashing across his screen was one he recognized from the Fort Shawnee clinic. He half-expected to hear from Sunshine but he was glad to hear from either one. After answering the call, he held the phone to his ear, "Hello?"

Mary Evans watched and smiled anxiously as her son listened to the person on the other line.

"Speaking," he uttered, rubbing his clammy free hand on the thigh of his jeans. "That's correct, Ms. Corazon had an appointment earlier this afternoon…oh…"

His mother heard the fall of his tone, triggering a frown on her face; she soon recovered and brought her hands over her mouth, not wanting to show her disappointment in what was clearly bad news.

"_What?_" Sam's brows came together and then quickly shot up towards his hairline. "You're kidding…how in the h—…so then who?...why the hell not!" He ignored the reprimanding gaze from his mother and went on to fuss, "...but it's my child too!" He sighed, lowering his face into his free hand and then muttered, "Mhm…yes, call me right away…I guess I am too; I'd say 'thanks' but—….no, actually I don't think you understand but whatever… Bye."

Mary lowered her hands from her lips. "What is it, Samuel?" she whispered. "Is Sunshine pregnant?"

Staring, vacantly at the floor, Sam shook his head. "No," he breathed.

She got up to sit right beside him and placed her hand on his cheek, "You're growing pale, sweetheart. What did they say?"

"Someone else…" his sentence drifted while he shook his head. "They made a mistake."

"What? How did they make a mistake—it was just an injection, wasn't it?"

He nodded, running a hand up his face and through his hair. "They gave Sunshine some…I dunno, estrogen shot or something."

Mary squinted, still perplexed, "Then what happened with the insemination?"

His hand came back down from his mangled hair as he finally looked to his mom, "They gave it to someone else."

Right away, Mary Evans froze. Only a second later, did her hand come over her mouth again, "Oh my goodness. And you don't know who, do you?"

"No, they wouldn't tell me," his bitter, humorless smirk returned, "They have to contact the woman they gave the shot to before disclosing any of her information to me."

He felt his mom squeeze his hand while he thought aloud, "I still don't even know if it worked, but even if it did…Mom, someone out there could be pregnant with my kid and I don't even know their name! I don't know anything about them and…and what about _them_, huh? They haven't even told her she might be carrying my kid. I mean why wouldn't they think to call her first? I guess I shouldn't be surprised—it's the same place that screwed up the shots in the first place."

Mary Evans watched her son pace the length of the cozy living room, all the while prattling on with his thoughts. When his voice fell to incoherent mumbles, she calmly spoke, "Samuel."

Sam stopped mid-stride and looked to his mom, "What?"

She arched her brows at him and he soon understood and corrected himself. "Yes, ma'am?"

Relaxing her brows, Mary Evans, "I don't want to stress or frighten you but…sweetheart, what if this woman they've impregnated doesn't want to go through a pregnancy right now in her life?"

Sam's face started to harden; he hadn't thought of that yet because he was too busy being outraged by the clinic's unfathomable error. Now it was all his mind could focus on. What_ if_ this woman wasn't receptive to the insemination at all? Has his preserved sperm gone to waste? What if she_ did_ get pregnant, got freaked out and skipped town? What if she went into hiding and took the baby with her? Or what if she wasn't so understanding about the situation and aborted the pregnancy altogether?

"Talk to me, Samuel!" he heard his mom whisper to his face, shaking his shoulders. He hadn't even been aware that she had risen from the couch. Her hand came up to cup his cheek, "You look very ill, sweetheart."

He shook his head and mouthed, "I'm fine," but hardly any sound came out. Fine was exactly what he wasn't. His chest felt tight and it was hard for him to focus on any lone questions or worries. He tried to remind himself to take deeper breaths, but somehow his mind had disconnected from the rest of his body and he proceeded to breathe shallowly. He vaguely wondered if this was what an anxiety attack felt like. Has his chance at starting his family now been destroyed? He didn't know, and all of the unknowns spinning in his head were making him physically ill. He knew he needed to calm down—that stressing over this unknown wasn't going to do him any favors, but telling himself this did nothing for him. Instead, he let his mom guide him back to the couch and tried his damnedest to focus on the familiar calming words she was whispering to him.

"It's going to be okay, Samuel. It's okay." She pulled him into her arms for a fierce hug and went on to say, "Remember that everything will be okay in the end. If it isn't okay, then you haven't reached the end."

As Sam leaned into his mom, feeling his eyes grow misty, his mind recalled the late September afternoon when he escorted Sunshine inside. He stood at the nurse's station with her while she checked in, and when they moved to take a seat in the waiting room…

Sam's eyes shot open. "Oh no!" he murmured with a panicked tone. Quickly, he pulled away from his mom and began to frantically look about.

"Wh—what are you looking for, Samuel?"

"My phone," he replied without a moment's hesitation. Soon, he spotted the device and bent his head towards it.

"Who are you calling?" Mary Evans wondered while watching her son life the phone to one side of his face.

"Puck." He clenched his jaw, narrowing his concerned eyes to the floor. "I need a number that he or Lauren might have."

* * *

"_Ohhh, there ain't gentlemen that's fit for any use, and any girl'll touch your privates for a deuce_…"

Rachel sneered as she sang, "_And even kids'll kick your shins and give you saaaass_…"

"_And even kids'll kick your shins and give you sass—_" echoed Mercedes.

Together they harmonized, "_Nobody's got no claaaass_," until Mercedes sang on.

"_Every guy is a snot_!"

Rachel mimicked her, "_Every girl is a twat_!"

"_Holy shit._"

"_Holy shit_."

Mercedes shook her head, "_What a shame_."

"_What a shame_."

Again they harmonized, "What _became of claaaaassss_…?"

At the conclusion of their duet, Mr. Schue and the rest of their cast mates clapped from the seats of the auditorium. Mercedes and Rachel smirked at one another; it had been the smoothest dress rehearsal yet.

"Excellent job, ladies!" complimented Mr. Schue. "Alright, I'd like to run through "Razzle Dazzle" next. Tina, Kurt and the courtroom ensemble—you're up!"

Mercedes stood from the small, round table where she and Rachel were sitting and wandered offstage as the crew rushed on to change the set. She adjusted the lapel of her black suit jacket and crouched down at her purse to check her phone, as she habitually did. She noticed she had two missed calls and a voice message, all from the Fort Shawnee clinic.

"Great job out there, Mama."

Mercedes turned her head, smiling up at Joe as he and fellow glee club member, Rory Flanagan passed by, carting the table prop away.

"Thanks, Joe," she replied, raising her phone to her ear to listen to the voicemail message.

"Hello this message is for Mercedes Jones. This is Nina Kramer at the Fort Shawnee Medical Clinic. Miss Jones, if you could please return my call at this number as soon as possible, it would be in your best interest. It's urgent. Thank you."

Mercedes features turned troubled at the critical tone in the nurse's voice. The words "It's urgent" continued to ring in Mercedes' ears. She checked the time and quickly called back the nurse. While the phone rang, her eyes glued to Kurt, who was standing center stage with Tina, talking quietly amongst themselves while they waited for the number to start. At that moment, Mercedes wanted desperately for him to see the concerned look on her face.

"Fort Shawnee Medical Center, how can I help you?"

Standing to her full height with her purse, Mercedes began to meander away from the stage wings—away from the Chicago cast and crew until she found a quiet place in the backstage props room. "Yes, my name's Mercedes Jones. Someone named Nina called me?"

"Oh. Right. Miss Jones, I was the one to call you. I'm Nurse Nina Kramer. I'm calling in regards to your estrogen shot from last month."

"Yes?" Mercedes felt something in the pit of her stomach; before any more words were exchanged between the nurse and her, she knew that something was wrong.

"If you could please come back to the clinic as soon as possible, we w—"

"What's going on?" Mercedes cut across in a demanding tone.

Silence passed for a few seconds before the nurse confessed, "Miss Jones, on the afternoon where you came to receive your shot, another patient had come to receive what's known as Artificial Insemination. However, due to an incredibly rare error on our part, the shot was not administered to this woman."

The morphing of Mercedes' features was a gradual one. She now found herself questioning whether the nauseating feeling she had a moment ago was intuition, or…

"What are you saying?" she demanded, keeping her voice low, controlled.

"I'm saying that you might be pregnant, Miss Jones. Please, come back to our clinic as soon as possible. Our doors lock at 7pm tonight."

Mercedes couldn't form an audible response, so the nurse hung up. Pregnant? She couldn't wrap her mind around it, but she couldn't sit through the remainder of dress rehearsal. She gathered her purse under her arm and quickly left without another word to Kurt or anyone, feeling sicker than ever.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! The Samcedes conversion is rapidly growing closer. :) Apologies for any errors, and as always, THANK YOU everyone for the loyalty, support and love for this fic!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Thanks for all the feedback/reviews everyone! I have to say, I started laughing at the number of people who were pissed off at how incompetent the clinic has been. Of course I agree and I sincerely hope there aren't actually many, if any medical centers out there that are this foolish. Anyway, read on everyone! I promised twists and whatnot to make this a captivating read and I plan to deliver to the best of my abilities! Enjoy!**_

* * *

When Mercedes reached the clinic, she paused, shutting her eyes and drawing in a few deep breaths. The entire way there, she kept seeing images of herself with a baby bump and a confused face, wondering how this happened. She stressed herself out the entire lonely drive, wondering what she was going to do if she was pregnant; how were her parents going to take the news? What were her friends going to think? And college…

All these thoughts spun around her mind like an out-of-control carousel. She couldn't stop them, even after she snatched her purse from on top of her backpack in the passenger's seat and left her car. On her way in, she pulled out her phone again and saw she had seven missed calls and just as many voicemail messages—all from her mom. She blanched at her phone screen while telling herself, _She knows. She knows and I'm dead_.

After checking herself in, she chanced listening to one of the messages. "_Mercedes Nichelle Jones, you call me right now! I just got a call from that clinic telling me you're pregnant—you call me _RIGHT _now_!"

Her mouth fell open and she balked at her phone. _That's all they told her! _Before she could listen to the next message, she was called back by Nurse Nina. Casting an openly hostile expression at the nurse, Mercedes thrust her phone back in her purse and got up to follow the nurse to the back. In passing, she said, "Before you run any tests or ask me anything or whatever you're planning to do,_ I_ have some questions and I want some damn answers." At this point she wasn't sure if she could trust anything that could come out of this clinic, but one thing was certain—after today, she would not set a toe in here again.

"Of course, and I do sincerely apologize, Mercedes."

She cut a sideways glare at the nurse, following her back into the same examining room she was brought to before. The walls were covered with tips on handling the cold and flu season; flyers on vaccinating your children, brochures on breast-feeding, and pamphlets for aerobics for expectant mothers. It was like the walls were glaring it her while simultaneously shouting, "YOU'RE PREGNANT, MERCEDES!" Shaking her head rapidly, she steeled herself and resumed focusing on her interrogation, all the while opting to stand rather than sit.

"So how are you guys still open? Because I've never heard of doctors or nurses 'accidentally' impregnating someone before."

The nurse pursed her lips and did her best to keep her tone as apologetic and sympathetic as possible, "Mercedes, I am very, very sorry about this accident and I promise you—this isn't something that's happened here before. The nurse responsible for it has been issued an indefinite leave."

"The nurse responsible?" mocked Mercedes. "Wouldn't that be you since_ you_ were the one who injected me with someone's…" she couldn't bring herself to say the word 'sperm'; it made the possibility of being pregnant seem even more likely.

Nurse Nina shook her head, "I'm in part to blame for not double-checking the label on the syringe, but it was one of our other nurses who rightfully shouldered the bulk of the blame and because of it, she's been let go."

"And what about you?" Mercedes asked with ferocity. The nurse seemed taken aback by her inquiry but Mercedes shook her head, "You know what, never mind. Someone called my mom and told her already that I was pregnant. I wanna know who told her that."

Nurse Nina pursed her lips again. Answering to a seventeen year-old for all these blunders was embarrassing, to say the least, but she didn't have a choice. "I made all the calls—to you, your mother, the woman intended for the insemination, and the potential father." She turned her back to Mercedes to tend to a small sonogram machine. "Please, Mercedes before we proceed, I think it would be best to determine whether or not you are pregnant."

Right away, Mercedes shook her head, "Hell to the no."

The nurse quickly balked at her, "I'm sorry?"

"I'm not letting any of you here poke or prod or touch me. Y'all are _crazy_ here—I don't know why _anyone_ would come here or trust you to even take their temperature!" Her index finger was pointed at the nurse, "The only thing I've heard you guys do correctly was fire that nurse, although I still don't see why you're still working here."

"Miss Jones, I've been working here for 22 ye—"

"Oh don't gimme that 'I've been working here since dinosaurs walked the earth' rhetoric. If you ask me, that just makes your mistake worse."

Mercedes was shaking with rage; her stomach was churning and the glower refused to leave her face. She had never been so disrespectful to an adult before, but she couldn't bring herself to feign a courteous level of restraint—not for this. She stormed out of the exam room, made her way past the check-out counter and jerked to a halt when her mouth started to water profusely. Her eyes widened, panicked at what she knew was about to happen. Before she could attempt to get to a bathroom or trash bin, she doubled forward and vomited directly in front of the clinic's entry doors. The waiting room fell silent and the woman behind the counter threw her a soured look but Mercedes ignored it and hurried out. Bigger problems were on her mind than the disgust of a receptionist; she needed to get back to Lima.

* * *

"Dammit," spat Sam.

His mother emerged from the kitchen, carrying two glasses of lemonade "What is it?"

He shook his head, "I thought Puck and Lauren would have this girl's number but they don't."

"And you think this girl might be the one?" she handed one glass to her son and sat down on the couch again. "Why?"

Sam lowered the class from his lips and said, "I—…I don't know, I just. It's odd, because I met this girl in the park like…maybe a week or something before and then I ran into her again at the clinic."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. At the park she told me she used to babysit Abby, so I thought Puck or Lauren would have her number. She and Lauren went to high school together."

Mary stared at him, confused, "If she went to McKinley with Lauren, wouldn't you have known this girl already as well? I mean Lauren's only a couple years younger than you and Noah."

Sam shook his head, "She's a senior now."

"Oh my." His mother shook her head repeatedly, "Samuel, I know this clinic seems to have monkeys running it, but…really, do you think they would impregnate a young girl like that? Weren't there other people at the clinic when you were there?"

"Well yeah, but…" He stared at his lemonade glass, thinking about that day at the clinic again. Sure enough, his mom had been right, but he had been too busy being surprised by Mercedes' presence at the clinic; that, on top of his anxiousness for Sunshine. As he mulled this over, doubt began to flood his mind and he soon found himself feeling a bit foolish. He chuckled once, shaking his head, "I guess you're right. I mean…it's not funny—I know. And it actually makes things a little more frustrating again with not knowing but…I guess in a way it was easy to latch on to the idea that it was _this _girl."

"I understand, sweetheart. I just don't want you to get stuck on someone without absolute certainty."

She rubbed his shoulder while he stared out, crestfallen and frustrated. After a long stretch of silence, Sam set his lemonade glass on the coffee table and stood up, heading for the front door.

"Where are you going?" his mom asked.

"Just…for a walk," mumbled Sam, closing the door behind him.

As he reached the end of the driveway, his hands sank into his pant pockets and he let out a long sigh. He had no clue if he was still getting his child next summer or not. He didn't know if the woman possibly impregnated with his child was a high school girl, or a housewife, or a cannabis dealer. As much as he tried to stop the flood of unknowns from overwhelming his mind again, he couldn't do it. He needed to know more than what had been given to him.

On his trek to the nearby park, his phone buzzed against his right palm. He momentarily stopped and pulled the phone out to see Sunshine's name beaming up at him. Grimacing, he answered, "Hi Sunshine."

"Mr. Evans, I'm so sorry!"

Sam held back the urge to sigh and said, "I keep telling you—call me Sam. And it isn't your fault."

"I just feel so terrible! I know how much you wanted this, but if you still desire a child, I'm sure they would still have some of your sperm, right?"

His cheeks flushed a bit as he said, "Yeah, they _should_, but…Sunshine, someone out there could _already_ be pregnant with my child."

A couple of seconds of silence passed before Sunshine replied. "Oh…r-right, that's right. I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking…"

"It's fine," Sam replied curtly. He could tell from her apology that she'd gotten the hint; he was very much in the dark and wasn't handling it well.

More silence wedged between them until Sunshine spoke again. "Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"If um…well if you need me, I'm still here, okay?"

He pursed his lips and curved them in the faintest trace of a smile, "Thanks Sunshine."

"I really am sorry."

"I know. Don't be." She had no reason to be and he was well aware of that.

"Goodbye, Sam."

"Bye, Sunshine."

Ending the call, Sam put his phone back inside his pocket. He had reached the park around the corner from his home and heard the giggling and rambunctious children before he saw them. Standing at the edge of the nearby path, he started to wonder if coming to the park right now was the best idea. It was his favorite place to come and think or relax, especially after he and Janelle would have a fight or if he couldn't get an idea going for one of his comics. But today, he questioned if a walk through the park would help or hinder his mood.

With a sigh and fallen shoulders, he ceded to his routine calming method and started along the grey cement path. One hand reached up to stroke at his dirty blond, stubbly-bearded chin while he walked; he tried to think of answers and resolutions to the dozens of questions the filled his head in the short span of the afternoon.

"Sam?"

He snapped out of his own thoughts as his gaze went to his immediate left. Sitting on the nearby park bench with a sketchbook in her lap was Mercedes. She was chewing on something but the motion behind her mouth was slowing down before she faintly chuckled, "Hi."

Her smile was clearly contagious because he found himself smiling as well, despite all that was on his mind. "Hi Mercedes. We've gotta stop meeting like this," he lightly joked.

She gave a dry chuckle in response, closing her sketchbook, "Yeah, I guess so."

As he gazed at her a bit longer, he realized that she didn't look quite as happy as the last time he saw her. Her eyes looked a bit puffy and red and whatever she was chewing on—he assumed, gum at this point—didn't seem all that interesting or satisfying, judging by the morose curve her lips at now taken.

"So…what brings you to the park?" He didn't know how interested she'd be in talking to him but he figured it couldn't hurt; he was harmless and she looked troubled.

"Oh um…I just have a lot on my mind," She replied with a slow shrug. "What about you?"

He faintly smiled, moving to take a seat beside her as he replied, "I come here when I have a lot on my mind too, actually."

"Girlfriend problems?" guessed Mercedes.

Sam chuckled one short chuckle, "Uh, no. Not exactly. You?"

"Me? Girlfriend troubles? Nope," she grinned softly, "I don't swing that way."

He laughed softly and shook his head, "Very funny."

"Apparently," she wittily replied. "No, I um…" He watched her bite her lip, which was kind of adorable in his humble opinion. "Just school stuff…lots of homework…home stuff, and um…I need to find a job soon."

His eyes had been lingering on her face but he lowered them to the sketchbook and nodded his head once, "Can I see?"

Right away, she stammered around the gum in her mouth, "Well I—sure I guess but they're nothing great. I mean, I kind of just doodle in here."

When she handed the book over, he opened it and appraised each page he flipped to with a stern gaze. She started explaining some of them while he went from one page to the next until he interrupted her.

"You don't think these are great?" he asked, giving her a dubious stare.

Again she shrugged, "Not really."

Sam chuckled, "Wow. Well you'd make a great illustrator."

"Psh!" she scoffed, "Yeah right."

"I'm serious, Mercedes. And I'd know."

"Oh really?" She folded her arms with a sly smirk, "How so?"

"I'm an artist," he replied in a matter-of-factly tone. When she cocked her brow at him he mocked her, "What?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah?" Sam chuckled, "Have you heard of the comic book series, _Chronic Chameleons_?"

Her eyes narrowed a bit in thought before she admitted, "Real talk? I'm not big on comic books or video games or stuff like that. But I do kinda remember my brother talking about _Chronic Chameleons _when he came home for summer. That's the one about the people who use the elements to fight crime, right?"

"That's the one. And that's my comic. Mine and my friend, Puck—you know, Abby's dad?"

Mercedes eyes widened, her mouth forming a slow smile, "Are you serious?"

"Yep, I'm still serious." He chuckled again, "We'd been working on it in high school and got noticed a little after graduation. Sold it to Marvel and well…we work pretty independently on new comics but _Chronic Chameleons_ was our best. We're trying to put another comic series together and…well it wouldn't hurt for us to have another illustrator and creative mind on board."

Her brows shot up and her slow smile was coming back. "You're not offering me a job are you?"

"Actually…I think I am," he replied with a nonchalant shrug. The more he talked to her, the less her was skeptical of her possibly being the mother of his child. Anyone who would receive that kind of bombshell wouldn't possibly be sitting in a park, drawing and talking about something so mundane as comic books.

It was hard for him to take his eyes off of her though; on top of her beautiful smile, there was something about her that was truly charming and she was clearly very talented. And knowing that she had some sort of friendship with Lauren gave her a sort of reference in his eyes. He hoped she would agree so he could come to know her better while also bringing something beneficial to his and Puck's comic project.

He watched her turn her head away and think over his offer with a smile.

"Here, let me see your phone."

Mercedes stared back at him with a quick wave of doubt, "Excuse me?"

Sam rolled his eyes, "I'm just gonna put my number in your phone. You can think it over and call me if you decide you wanna do it. We'd pay minimum wage to start but…it's better than nothing, right?"

"Amen to that," she replied, shaking her head like he'd just preached the gospel. She bent forward and reached inside her purse to grab her phone.

Sam took it from her and moved his thumbs across the screen. "A Droid? Nice," he commented—his lop-sided smirk returning. Once he finished, he handed the phone back to her.

Mercedes gazed at the phone with a faint smile, until it buzzed in her hand and wiped any trace of content from her face.

Sam heard her sigh and asked, "Everything okay?"

She shook her head, "Not even close. I need to go. My mom," She explained, bent to pick up her purse and stood from the bench. "I've been avoiding her calls all afternoon so now I need to go face the music."

He smiled crookedly at her humorless smile and handed the sketchbook back, "Well, I hope things get better for you soon. And hey, if you take up my job offer, maybe they will."

"Thanks, Sam. Talk to you soon," she said before turning to leave.

* * *

_**Please, please, please leave reviews! I've got a lot in store for this fic, revealing bit by bit with each chapter! :)**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**As always, many thanks for the reviews and feedback!**_ _**I said this on Tumblr too, but I just wanted to pause for a second and give some sincere thank yous to all of you who have been leaving reviews and checking off the little notifications (story alert, favorites, etc.). Truly, I'm flattered and humbled. This is one Samcedes fanfic that I feel like I won't grow tired of or burned out while writing it. Thank you, a million times over!**_

* * *

The moment Mercedes stepped through the front door of her parents' home, she could feel the change in the atmosphere; an estate of warm and inviting characteristics now felt frigid and tense.

"Mercedes Nichelle Jones, you get in here _right_ now!"

This time it was her father's booming tenor voice calling her by her full name. She sighed, setting her things down near the stairs and wandered into the living room. Both of her parents sat as a united front on the couch and met their daughter's appearance with radiating upset.

"Sit down, Mercedes," said her mom in a strained calm.

She did as instructed and took a seat, all the while doing her best to ignore the return of her upset stomach. If she wasn't pregnant, the imbalance in her hormones had certainly taken a turn for the nauseating.

Mrs. Jones moved to the edge of the cushion, leaned forward and spoke through her clenched teeth. "I called you seven times today, little lady. _Seven_! Not once did you bother to return my call. Now you already know what your father and I want answers to, so start talking."

Still feeling bitter towards the Fort Shawnee clinic, Mercedes sassed, "Well you already know, don't you?" Under her breath she murmured things like, "I swear" and "Fools in that place," but her parents didn't catch it.

"You watch your tone, little girl," reproached Mr. Jones. "Your mother told me about the call she got from that clinic." He began shaking his head, "Mercedes why would you do this? I know kids your age think it's the thing to do but why in the world would you take this risk your senior year?"

Mercedes' eyes bulged, "Hold on…what—you guys think I went to that place to get tested?"

Mrs. Jones stared like a horn was growing in between her daughter's brows. "Mercedes don't play dumb with us! Why else would they tell us you might be pregnant? Why else would they say it was urgent for you to come in?"

Mercedes dropped her head in her hands, shaking it repeatedly. She wanted to cry, solely from the accusatory tone both her parents shot at her. Typically, Mercedes was a good girl, and being fussed at by her parents wasn't something she was accustomed to. Between her fingers she muttered, "Oh my God. Don't listen to those fools out there. Please!"

"Then _tell_ us!" demanded her mother, punctuating each word.

"_They_ screwed me over!" shouted Mercedes. Realizing that this was a poor choice of words, she quickly added, "They gave me the wrong shot?"

"Oh so you went there for birth control?" Mr. Jones shifted uncomfortably as his wife's eyes narrowed, expecting an answer.

That's not why I was there!" Her cheeks were growing warm; had it been her and her mother, she would have felt less embarrassed, but the discussion of her virginity was not something she wanted to discuss in front of her father. Already exasperated and on the verge of tears, Mercedes obliged by saying, "No! Mom you were with me the last time I went to the doctors. Remember? Last month."

Her mother said nothing so Mercedes took it as a silent confirmation and went on. "They were supposed to give me a shot a week later and they did but they gave me the wrong one!"

"What?" her father balked shortly.

"What are you talking about Mercedes?" Her mother looked and sounded like she holding onto her last strand of patience.

"They gave me an A.I., mom! Artificial Insemination!" Mercedes sobbed, shaking her head. Her vision became too clouded to see her parents shocked features but they were still enough for her to know that she was being heard. After sucking in a ragged breath she told them, "They gave me… the wrong shot… th-that's why they think I mi—might be…"

Her mouth was filling with an excess of water. With widening eyes, she cupped her hand over her lips, shot up from her seat and bolted from the room. To her fortune, there was a downstairs bathroom nearby. Over the roaring of her own heaves, she could hear her mother's voice repeatedly echoing her own sentiments earlier. "Oh my God…"

More than anything at this point, Mercedes just wanted to curl up on the floor right there and not get up. Her day had a few highlights that were eclipsed by blow after blow. She still didn't know if her parents really believed her—hell, the explanation sounded farfetched as soon as it left her mouth, but she knew it was the truth. As she knelt over the toilet bowl, one hand clutched her stomach while she moved the back of her other across her teary eyes. Somehow, she found the strength to stand back up again; she flushed the toilet, washed her hands and rinsed her mouth out twice before returning to the living room. The sight she was met with was her father consoling her now distraught mother. When they noticed her presence, her mom broke away from her father's burly embrace and got up to close her arms around her only daughter.

Mercedes met her mom's hug with great ferocity. This was what she needed more than anything, ever since she left rehearsals. More than drawing in the park; more than a job offer from a cute guy and more than the small gratification of leaving Fort Shawnee with an impromptu parting gift. She needed to be in her mom's arms, crying her eyes out.

Mrs. Jones softly shushed her daughter and kissed the top of her head, "It's okay, Baby. Shhh, it's okay."

"M-mom, how…is it okay?" she asked in between sobs. "W-what…what am I…g-going to do?" She sniffled and wiped her eyes, trying not to soak her mom's shirt too much.

"Well first, we need to find out if you are pregnant. I'm going to make an appointment for you here in Lima, but I also want you to take a test. They're usually accurate if you buy the right ones. But you look at me, Mercedes." Mrs. Jones gingerly cupped both sides of her daughter's face and looked directly into her swelling, red eyes, "You're not going through this alone—pregnant or not."

"B-but…Mom what if I am?" she breathed.

"Mercedes."

Her father's deep voice spoke softly from behind them. She looked over her mother's shoulder to see him approaching the two women. "Your mother and I…" He sighed, clearly struggling over his own words. "If you're having a baby, it's going to be your decision on what to do. No one else can decide for you."

She found irony in this, considering she didn't decide to be given a shot of some guy's swimmers. That was a thought she kept to herself however, as she listened to her father.

"You're almost 18. And for these past 17 years, your mom and I have had the power to tell you what to do and not to do. 'Don't go to that person's house. Don't stay out past eleven. Get your homework done. But we know 18's that age…we can't legally hold you to much of anything, so we take that very seriously when it comes to decision-making." He placed a hand on her shoulder to continue telling her, "Your mom and I won't be telling you what you can and can't do; we'll always tell you what we think is best and what isn't and we'll encourage you to do the best that you can be in everything you do, but you have to understand the difference between command and influence. Do you understand?"

She understood. Through her father's verbose speech, she understood that regardless to what she was or wasn't and what she decided to do from there, she was going to be treated like an adult now and it was time she fully accepted that.

* * *

"Come again?"

Sam shrugged while bouncing Abby playfully on his knee, "I offered her a job with us."

Clearly irritated, Puck replied, "I didn't know we were hiring."

"Oh come on, Tony—we can afford it, she needed a job and we need the help."

"Since when? Besides we got Finn helping us from time to time."

"Yeah, _from time to time,_ which means hardly ever. He's too busy running his stepdad's auto shop."

He and his best friend sat in the Puckerman kitchen the afternoon following Sam's bittersweet news. His mom started her drive back to Lexington early that morning with promises to visit again soon. And Puck's peach fuzz head had once been hidden under the sink counter to tend to a leaky pipe while Sam looked after Abby.

"Come on," Sam repeated. "Trust me, dude, she's really talented."

"Yeah you keep saying that." Puck turned wrench in his hand, giving his blond-headed friend a stern gaze. "And by the way, I know she can draw. She left a sketch of Sailor Moon here for Abby, last time she babysat."

Sam waited for Puck's approval on his hiring of Mercedes. The only time he took his eyes off his best friend was to watch Abby drag her bowl of Cheerios close so she could grab a handful to crush in her tiny hand. "Look if it really doesn't work out then we'll let her go—plain and simple. I mean you trusted her with Abby; why not trust that she can handle helping out with our comic?"

Puck let out a sigh and lowered his head beneath the sink again. His friend was wearing him down with this talk of hiring Mercedes. He couldn't understand his persistence but a hunch came over him. Sitting up again, he stared at Sam with narrowed eyes.

"You like her, huh?"

Sam's eyes bulged slightly, "What? No! I mean, I hardly know her!"

A devilish smirk spread across Puck's face, "So? You still like her, huh?"

"I dunno. I mean she's pretty, and quick on the wit." As he spoke this, he chuckled once to himself, recalling their little encounter at the park the previous day.

Puck smiled a little more, not knowing or caring what the inside joke was that he missed. "Ahh robbing the cradle are we, Cap?"

Sam rolled his eyes, averting his gaze to Abby again, "It's not even like that, dude. She was nice to talk to and I saw how good her drawings were…"

"So is that a 'yes' or a 'yes'?"

"That's a f—" He quickly caught himself with a wary glance at Abby and playfully covered her ears. "Blank you."

Abby whined, pulling Sam's hands away from her face; Sam chuckled, "Sorry Abbster. It's your Daddy's fault."

"Dah-ee!" she mocked smiling brightly with her four front teeth.

Sam smiled and jumped into baby-speak, "Yeaaaahh, Daddy's being silly. Can you say 'silly' Abby?"

Abby nodded at him and Sam chuckled, "Say 'silly', Abby."

She mumbled, "Sih-ee," and the promptly turned her attention back to her Cheerio crumbs.

"Yeah whatever, Cap. I may be sih-ee but I know you. You dig her, and that's cool." He laid back on his back and resumed fixing the pipe.

"Think what you want," Sam said dismissively. As he brought his attention back to his pseudo-niece, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He checked the ID but only an unfamiliar number had appeared. His brows furrowed but he answered anyway. "Hello?"

"Hi, Sam?"

Right away he recognized his caller's voice, "Oh! Hey there—I didn't realize it was you calling."

He chuckled softly and heard Mercedes do the same, "Sorry about that. Guess it wouldn't have hurt for me to've given you my number in the park, huh?"

"Ah it's okay. How are you?"

"I'm…okay. Or I will be at least. How are you?"

His brows furrowed from her answer. "I'm fine," he replied warily. "In all honesty I'd be better if I knew you were calling to accept my offer?"

Was it possible to not at least smile whenever she giggled? He didn't know yet because he found himself smiling again while hearing her infections peals. "Actually, that's exactly why I'm calling. I talked with my parents about it last night and…as long as I'm able to keep my grades up for the remainder of the semester—which is just two months now," she muttered, "then they're cool with it. I'm actually looking forward to it too."

Sam perked up, "Really?"

"Yeah, I could use this right now actually."

"Yeahh I know money's kind of tight for a lot of people right now."

"…Oh, right. Money…"

Again he grew suspicious by her response. "What's that about? Don't tell me I don't have to pay you!" he teased, trying to lighten her mood up again.

"It's nothing. Just more of that stuff on my mind like I told you the other day," she said with a dry chuckle. "Anyway, when do I start?"

He scowled softly, "Um…well I'm here with Puck right now; let me ask him. Hang on." Sam moved the microphone end away from his lips and turned his head towards the kitchen sink, "Stark! When should we meet with Mercedes?"

"Ahh so you _are_ talking to Miss 'Cedes?"

Instantly embarrassed, Sam stole a handful of Abby's crushed Cheerios and sent them flying in Puck's direction.

"'Ey! You're cleaning that up later, A-hole!" when Sam didn't say anything back, Puck went on, "We'll meet up with her…on Saturday. 2 o'clock."

With a satisfied smirk, Sam resumed his call. He opened his mouth to relay the message but heard Mercedes giggling again and halted his words.

"What was all that about?" she asked through her soft laughs.

"Huh? Oh, nothing—just lighting a fire under Puck's butt for an answer." His smirk grew to a light grin, "So does Saturday at 2 work for you?"

"That's great! Am I meeting at the Puckerman's, or…?"

"Er…usually we do work at my place, so…I'll text you my address and you can meet us there."

"Sounds like a plan," she replied. He could hear the smile in her voice and right away he too was smiling.

"Great! I'll see you Saturday."

"See you then!" she replied and then ended the call.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! I know this chapter was a little shorter than others but more is coming soon & more is unfolding **_**very **_**soon!**_


	8. Chapter 8

"Wait a minute—the guy at the clinic? Mr. McDreamy? The guy with the gorgeous blond hair and big lips? _He_'s the one that gave you a job?"

Mercedes rolled her eyes smiling as she closed her locker, "You need to stop watching _Grey's Anatomy._ Mr. McDreamy? Really?"

"It's Dr. McDreamy on _Grey's_. Butforget about that! He's the one who gave you the job?"

"Yeah, I start tomorrow. He saw me in the park, drawing and—"

"Aww, the park! Go on," encouraged Kurt with a flick of his wrist.

"And he thinks I've got some potential for helping him and his friends illustrate for their new comic book series."

"Aww, you'll be making art together?"

Mercedes playfully elbowed his own arm, "Yeah, I guess so. It's minimum wage to start but I don't really care; it's income and it'll be a distraction for me."

"Um…distraction from what? Your bajillion AP classes, the musical, Glee Club or college apps? Which, by the way—did you already fill all yours out?"

Mercedes shook her head, "I still only got UCLA and Ohio State submitted."

Kurt clicked his tongue and frowned, "Mercedes, what about NYU? And…what was the other one?"

"Morris Brown."

"Right! Which…I mean out of the 4, you know I'm rooting for that one the least but…you've got to finish. The deadlines are gonna sneak up on you and then you won't be able to possibly jet off to The Big Apple with me!"

Mercedes bit her lip, feeling her entire expression bog down. "It's not that simple, Kurt…"

"Oh come on, Mercedes. I know things are gonna get hectic with finals and you trying to graduate early to leave me to wander the halls alone for five months but think about it this way—once the applications are sent in, we can relax a little! It'll be one huge weight off our shoulders and it'll just be a matter of keeping our grades up!"

Still looking morose, Mercedes shook her head, "I know. I'll get the apps done."

She felt Kurt's eyes bearing on her, but she didn't want to give him a chance to interrogate her further so she said, "I've got to run to the bathroom but I'll catch up with you in the parking lot."

"Sure," Kurt lifelessly replied as she sped away to the nearest girls' room. Right away, she listened to figure out if she was alone or not; as soon as she decided the coast was clear, she set her books on the edge of the sink, bent over the very same sink and gazed at herself in the mirror, taking deep breaths in through her nose and out of her mouth.

Mercedes gasped, "Kurt!"

"Oh please, Mercedes. Out of all the guys at this school, do you really think any girl's gonna freak out over _me _being in here?"

To this she said nothing—her face falling back to its somber state once more.

"I know something's wrong but you havne't told me 'what' yet. You just got a job; you're graduating early and you're still playing Mama Morton in Chicago. What's wrong?"

By now, Mercedes was biting her lip again. Her chest got that constricted, uncomfortable feeling it always got whenever she thought she might cry. She didn't know if she had anymore tears left to cry after the minutes of bawling she'd done earlier that week. She couldn't look in Kurt's piercing blue eyes, nor could she figure out how to bring herself to tell him. He was her best friend on the planet—practically like a brother to her. How was she going to deliver the news?

"I'm pregnant, Kurt," she whispered.

Direct and earnest seemed to be the approach to serve her well in the past at least.

Kurt's hands flew up to his mouth after a few moments of giving her a bug-eyed stare. " ! Mercedes!" The second his hands lowered from his face, he lowered his voice as well, "But I thought you were…"

"A virgin? I…I still am, Kurt."

As she expected, his brows came together in confusion. "I don't get it…You're not trying to tell me some angel from heaven came down and implanted a kid in you, Mary Mother of Jesus-style, are you?"

In an instant, Mercedes entire face flattened. She cocked her head to the side and propped her hands on her hips while her head cocked to the side in a judgmental stare.

Kurt shrugged, "What? That's in the Bible, isn't it?"

"It's not like that Kurt." Though now that he'd made the comparison, she couldn't help but think on it. She pushed the thought away though when she told him, "It's a long story but to give you the Spark Notes? I was given the wrong shot, that day we went to Fort Shawnee."

She watched her bestie's face sour with confusion, but she knew the precise moment that he understood; his eyes grew wide and his jaw slackened, causing his mouth to hang open. "Oh my god," he uttered in a monotone.

"I know, and I promise I'll tell you more this weekend but…I just wanted to tell you. I needed to tell you."

"When did you find out you were pregnant?"

Mercedes took another deep breath and blew it out of her mouth, "Yesterday. I took a test at home a few days ago, and then we went to my doctor to get it confirmed yesterday."

Kurt looked impossibly paler as he said, "So that explains why you've been so…quiet lately."

She nodded, "I just…I still don't know what I'm going to do."

"You mean," Kurt lowered his voice a bit, "You're considering not keeping it?"

"Well, yeah. I mean it's not like I made some mistake by having sex with someone, only to land in this situation. Now, I'm pro-choice and all that for other people—I'm not a fan of dictating other people's life choices, but for me…" her head lowered and shook, "I just never thought I'd ever be thinking something like this over. I've always told myself if I got pregnant that I would keep and raise the baby—it would be my responsibility since I put myself in the situation, whether I planned for it to happen or not. But this…this is different. "

"Yeah," agreed Kurt. "I mean how many girls plan to be accidentally shot up with a guy's baby gravy?"

"Exactly. Then there's college. I know some schools do the online thing but…I was looking forward to actually going to a campus and being in a classroom. I don't know how I could be eager to do that if I had a baby."

"People do make it work though, y'know? There's young moms that go to college all the time."

"I know. It's just not what I had in mind for myself. But at the same time…" She stared at her books on the sink, "This isn't just my baby. Someone out there was expecting to get a baby. I don't even know who, but it makes me feel bad for this child."

Kurt's brows pulled together, "Why?"

"Because, it's been a month. I might have just found out but…don't you think the woman who was supposed to have this happen to would've been like…I dunno, peeing on sticks every day until she knew something?"

"Seems like they didn't care much, doesn't it?" wondered Kurt.

Mercedes nodded, "Yeah. That's why I feel bad. It kind of makes me want to keep it…like, to show it and whoever was supposed to have it that this baby is valued and maybe meant for something special."

"Do you think you're ready to change your life for a baby?"

She stared sternly at the floor, losing herself in her own thoughts. "I…I don't know yet. I think if I decided to keep the baby…I could do it. I think I could. It'd be hard, but I'd put in the love and work."

"Well you're one of the most responsible people _I_ know, if that counts for anything. And I told you, you didn't get the role of _Mama_ Morton for nothing."

At that, Mercedes faintly smiled. "Biggest Mother Hen," she quoted.

Kurt stepped closer to her and pulled her into a hug, "Whatever you end up doing, Ebony, I'll be here to help you however I can, okay?"

Mercedes hugged him back, tighter than his embrace and when they parted, she collected her books. "Thanks, Ivory." She let him escort her out of the bathroom, just as the warning bell rang.

"Anytime," replied Kurt. "And hey…don't rule out NYU. If I get into NYADA we'll be roomies and Uncle Kurt will make sure you have the best dressed infant on the East Coast."

She giggled softly and shook her head at her best friend as the bathroom door closed behind them. Neither of them heard one of the middle stall doors unlatch and quietly swing open as a brunette with razor straight bangs stuck her head out, gaping at the shocking yet juicy news she'd just overheard.

* * *

"What the hell does that mean?" fussed Sam.

"It means that due to doctor-patient confidentiality, I'm not allowed to disclose the information you're requesting, Mr. Evans."

His voice raised, "But I'm the father! If the procedure worked and someone's pregnant out there with _my_ child, I have a right to know! You can't even tell me if it worked?"

"I'm sorry. No. That information isn't mine to disclose."

"Look! Nina—that's your name right? I feel like I've been to hell and back with you all this week. If you all did your job right, this conversation wouldn't even be happening! Why didn't you tell me about this mistake sooner, huh? Why am I finding out about this a month later? And why the hell can't you do me a favor and at least tell me if it worked!"

"I understand you're upset, Mr. Evans—"

"Like hell you do! Upset's an understatement!"

Nurse Nina let her own anger slip as she snarled, "We're already facing one lawsuit threat for this!"

"Well congratulations! Consider this _two_ pending lawsuits! Have a nice day!" snapped Sam. Without giving her a chance to retort, he hung up and squeezed his phone in his hand. He sat down and lowered his head in his hand; his head was pulsing with pain from his flared anger. This was not how he wanted to start his weekend, but the desire for more information was gnawing at him all week.

After running his hands through his hair, he stood up and started to his kitchen to make himself a sandwich. At times, he really wanted to just lock himself in and stay in bed. The ups and downs of the past few years of his life would build and wear on him on some days; this was one of those days.

_Bam, bam, bam!_

His head turned at the pounding sound coming from the front door. He set down his loaf of bread and wandered out of the kitchen, through the living room and to the front door. As if his day couldn't have grown worse, he nearly closed the door again, but she slammed her hand out to prevent him from doing so.

"Don't be rude, Sam. Geeze. I need to talk to you," spat Janelle.

"Well I don't need to talk to you. Bye!"

He made to close the door again but she shouldered it open and wriggled past him. "Quit being such an asshole. If we're both lucky, this won't take long."

He ground his teeth together and finally shut the door. Unfortunately, Janelle was on the wrong side of it.

* * *

"Fools! All of 'em!"

Mercedes stopped in the foyer of her home, hearing her mom mutter bitterly from the other room. Confused, she walked further into the house. "Mom?"

"Hi, sweetie. Ugh, I swear I cannot wait to have a meeting with my attorney."

"Meeting for what?"

Her mother propped her hands on her hips, "I'm suing that joke of a clinic! I went down there this morning to demand that they send any records of yours to the hospital here in Lima and you know what they told me?"

She didn't give Mercedes a real chance to respond as she ranted on, "They said 'Oh I'm sorry but by law we're required to keep records on file of all our patients.' Can you believe that? I about damn near lost my mind then. I got in that Nina woman's face and said, 'By law? Well where the hell is the law that says you should tell your patients you screwed up, huh?' Then I asked her why it took them a damn month to call you and say 'Woops! We made a mistake and got you pregnant.'"

Her mother began a furious circuit around the living room while she proceeded on her outburst. "Then she had the nerve to get snippy with me, claiming they didn't know at first and then they had to go through their protocol of dealing with the nurses at fault before informing you. Oh I was about to go all Madea on that clinic, Mercedes! I yelled up and down that woman's dumpy self about how you or the other woman's health could've been at risk while their dumb asses kept tight-lipped about the issue."

Mercedes was shaking her head at the foolishness of the clinic but she also felt a bit amused by her mom's rant. She asked, "Are you really planning to sue them?"

"Hell yeah I am! Mercedes none of this should have ever happened in the first place and it wouldn't have if they had capable people working there. Obviously they don't and they're doing next-to-nothing to improve it."

She understood where her mom was coming from and there wasn't any reason or her to argue in defense of the clinic that got her pregnant. But she couldn't help sighing, "I get it and I don't think they should get off without a lawsuit, but…I just…" She folded her arms across her chest, shifting uncomfortably where she stood, "I don't wanna have another thing to deal with right now. My finals are gonna be here before I know it; on top of that, there's the school musical, glee club, my other college apps, my new job, and now I have a baby to think of."

Her mom came down from her tirade and slowly stepped to her daughter. "So…is that it then? You've decided to keep the baby?"

With her arms still folded, Mercedes shrugged, "I…I don't know yet."

Mrs. Jones sighed, stroking a hand over her daughter's hair, "Baby, I know you've got a lot going on right now but…just keep in mind that this isn't a decision that can be prolonged."

She nodded in response and said, "I'm gonna take a nap and get started on my homework. I'm supposed to start work tomorrow, so…"

"I understand," replied Mrs. Jones. "Do your best not to worry over this lawsuit. Your father and I will take care of it as much as we can."

With a faint, pursed-lipped smile Mercedes turned and left the room, heading up the stairs for her bedroom. Her head felt filled with thoughts of all the things she had going on. None of the ones of greater importance allotted for her to procrastinate any decision-making; deadlines would come and she had to be sure of what she was going to do before she did it. When she reached her bedroom, she dropped all of her things on the floor and let herself collapse on the bed. Right away, she gasped and turned to lie on her back. She cast a panicked gaze down at her stomach while mentally scolding herself for her habit. Plopping tummy-down on the bed was a habit she was going to have to break and fast—at least while she was pregnant. She snatched her pillow from behind her head and slapped it over her face instead to muffle the loud groan that escaped her lips. She shut her eyes and somehow managed to fall asleep, despite the restless, conflicting thoughts in her mind.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors in this chapter. Sam and Mercedes' first day working together begins in the next chapter!**_


	9. Chapter 9

Sam folded his arms and leaned against the frame of the living room's entrance. The pulsing agitation in his head was growing worse; he knew he needed to calm himself down before he gave himself a tension migraine—something he was easily prone to doing, following his surgery.

"What do you want, Janelle?"

She crossed her legs and mocked his folded arms, "Now that's not a way to greet me."

He ground his teeth, "You're free to leave since I didn't want you in here to begin with."

Janelle rolled her blue-green eyes and huffed, "Look…I didn't come here to fight with you, believe it or not."

"As much as I'd like to believe you…"

"Alright for two seconds, could you pull your head out of whatever ass-like place you've got it in and just listen to me? No interruptions?"

Sam pursed his lips. He didn't know why he was agreeing to anything she wanted; probably because once upon a time, they did have something nice and loving between them but it was hard to see past the fog of tense memories.

"Look..." she started again and puffed her chest with a deep breath. "I don't like what's happened to us. I mean you and me…everyone thought we were the 'it' couple that should have been but didn't happen until after graduation."

Unable to help himself, Sam cocked a brow at her. _Is she gearing up to reconcile and ask me back?_ He felt with certainty that the answer to this thought was 'yes'.

"We were good together once, Sammy." Her tone softened significantly. Sam recognized it as the tone of voice she would use to try and butter him up for something, like a new pair of shoes or a night out at Breadstix. "I don't see why we can't work this out and try again. I mean, I don't care if you wanna have kids right now or…I dunno—bungee jump off a bridge! Whatever you wanna do—I don't care, as long as you'll let me be there with you."

She stood up and sauntered slowly to Sam, tugging on his arms to unfold them. He let her do it, with an unchanged look of skepticism on his face. He cringed internally when her arms slithered around his middle. What she wasn't realizing was that he wasn't turning into putty in her attempts of persuasion.

"See but that's the problem with us, Janelle." Sam finally relaxed enough to break her interlocked fingers from around his torso and guide her hands back to her side. "I want things that you obviously don't; I should have realized that a long time ago so we could've stopped trying to pretend to be people we weren't. And you…you don't care! You just said so yourself that you don't care about my wants—"

"That's not what I mea—"

"Save it," he cut across curtly, taking a step back. "Maybe it's not what you meant right now but it's what you just said, and it's what you'd meant when we broke up. We should've ended this a long time ago. I mean I really don't know why you decided to come back now, but it doesn't matter."

Walking backwards, Sam made his way to the front door. His hand reached for the knob without taking his eyes off Janelle's pair. "I don't want you back, Janelle. I don't wanna hear from you anymore. You were right when you left when you said we're done, so you need to go so we can stay done."

Janelle balked at Sam, astonished by what she was hearing. Her sugary-sweet personality turned vicious in no time.

"Kiss my ass, Sam," she hissed, snatching her purse from the couch and stomping her way to the door. "You're a dick." Before walking completely out the door, she turned her head to cut Sam a look and muttered, "Karma's a bitch."

As he closed the door on her, he nonchalantly hollered, "Bye bye, Karma!"

Sighing a few seconds later, he went to the couch to have a seat and attempt at calming himself with some deep breaths. He knew nothing good would have come from allowing his ex in his home but he still took a chance. Now, his appetite was gone and his head was aching. He picked up his phone again, left the couch again and trekked upstairs to get some medicine. After taking a painkiller from his upstairs medicine cabinet, he went to his room to lie down. He sent out a mass text message to those closest to him, letting them know he was shutting his phone off 'til tomorrow morning. Once he hit 'send', he shut his eyes, set the phone on his nightstand and did his best to focus on deep breaths again. The painkiller didn't settle in immediately, but Sam found himself more tired than he realized; somehow, he had fallen asleep before his headache subsided.

* * *

_She was standing in front of a full house on opening night, strutting across the stage while singing her solo number, "When You're Good to Mama". Unlike some of the other principal characters, she was to wear one costume for the entirety of the production—her black three-piece suit with a corset top in lieu of a blouse beneath the jacket. She felt confident in the sultry outfit; it, coupled with the sassy sweep of the music gave her swagger a boost. During the middle of the song, she plucked her chain from her jacket pocket and swung it in fast circle, all the while flawlessly belting out the lyrics._

"_If you want my gravy, pepper my Ragu—spice it up for Mama, she'll get hot for you…"_

_Her hips moved in a slow circle before she pivoted to cross the stage again. Outwardly she was selling her character with as much conviction as possible, but inside she as over the moon that her solo was going well._

"_So what's the one conclusion I could bring this number to? When you're good to Mamaaaa…"_

_Her arms were spread, adding a bit of drama to her finale, but before she could belt out the final four words to the song, a sharp pain suddenly shot through her pelvis, causing her to gasp. The sound from her mouth picked up on her microphone. The orchestra stopped playing, and when she looked down her eyes went wide. Her full figure physique was sporting a bulging baby bump. Panic filled her and when she looked up at the audience, everyone she looked at was whispering to their neighbor._

_Mortified, Mercedes head turned to the side stage wings only to see her fellow cast mates whispering to one another as well. She couldn't move. As much as she was telling herself to get off the stage, her feet remained rooted. The desire to vanish was strong but another round of pain contracted at her pelvis—this time, causing her to clutch her belly and cry out._

Mercedes shot up to a sitting position with one hand flying over her mouth; she'd been shrieking aloud but immediately cut herself off. Her heart was racing, coinciding with her rapid breaths and though she knew better, she brought her other hand over her stomach anyway.

Her head turned to check the time on her alarm clock; she had been sleeping since her nap from the previous afternoon, and now the bright green numbers glared 5:03. Slowly, she lay back down and forced herself into a calmer state, but the images of her dream kept her awake for the rest of the early morning. It wasn't an ideal way for her to start her first day of work, but she did her best not to let it consume her thoughts for the day.

Eventually, she left her bed and showered and dressed in black leggings and a magenta peasant top. With all the time to kill before work, she took her time styling her hair and applying her make-up, and then thought of making breakfast. However, she still wasn't entirely knowledgeable on all the things she couldn't eat while pregnant, so she ceded to a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios and a banana. It took her all of give minutes to eat, so she wandered into the living room, stretched out on the couch and flipped on the television. Her eyes felt heavy but every time she closed them in an attempt to get more sleep, she saw more images of herself in her dream.

In the late morning, she heard movement from her parents upstairs. They made their way downstairs in their own time and greeted her with slightly surprised expressions.

"Are you okay, Baby?" asked her mom.

Mercedes nodded, "Didn't sleep very well is all."

Her mom frowned while her dad told her, "Well your mom and I have some errands to run today. We'll be back before dinner but our phones are on us if you need anything."

Mercedes cast them a closed-lipped smile and nodded again, "Okay."

"Good luck on your first day," her mom said with a smile.

"Thanks, Mom."

Not long after her parents left, she felt her stomach churn—a feeling that was quickly becoming familiar to her. With a good idea of where this was headed, she quickly got up and went directly to the bathroom. A couple minutes later, she was flushing the toilet and dragging herself back upstairs to brush her teeth again. _So much for breakfast_, she thought bitterly.

When she returned to the couch, she grabbed the remote and flipped through the channel guide, looking for a movie that would occupy her time until she had to leave. Ironically, she found that _Juno_ had just started on one network. Rolling her eyes, she decided to watch it but couldn't help thinking this was some sort of humorless joke. But while she watched the movie, she couldn't help wondering why she hadn't considered adoption before. The scenes with Juno and her family made Mercedes think about the fact that she wasn't the only one who would be affected if she kept her baby. She would be making her parents grandparents by next summer; her brother would be an uncle …and where were she and the baby going to stay? Her room wasn't big enough for a crib and changing table, and if her parents were willing to convert her brother's room into a nursery, it would leave him without a place to call his own when he came home from college.

She hadn't discussed any of this with her parents yet, but it wasn't something she really wanted to delve into until she knew whether or not she was going to keep and raise the baby or not. If she were to keep and raise her baby, she knew she couldn't live at home for forever. Sure, there was a hefty amount of funds in her savings, but its initial purpose was for college. Even if she were to give the money a different agenda, it wasn't enough to afford her rent anywhere for very long, and the bulk of that would probably be spent on doctor's appointments and diapers before anything else.

The incessant ping-pong match of decisions to make was giving her a headache, and the movie didn't help, so she flipped off the television and closed her eyes. It was not a desire of hers to give herself yet another thing to think of, but the possibility of adoption would help her to eliminate the option of aborting the pregnancy—something that, deep down, she really did not want to do.

* * *

Sam's morning run was exceptionally long today. He didn't want to wear himself out but he wanted to burn off the groggy feeling that lingered from his painkiller he took the previous day. In addition, he hadn't quite shaken his frustration with the clinic call, followed by Janelle's impromptu visit.

As he reached his front door and shut off his iPod, he heard his neighbor, Quinn, greet him as per usual. "Hi, Sam!"

His hand raised and waved, "Hey Quinn. How are you?"

"Doing well today, and you?" she clipped a couple of yellow roses and walked over to the low fence that divided their homes.

Sam did the same while telling her, "I'm so-so. Had a lot on my mind but running was a nice way to alleviate things a bit."

Quinn nodded, "That's good to hear. Hey listen, I heard a bit of what's been going on with you lately. I just wanted you to know I'm praying for you and if there's anything Finn and I can do, let us know okay?" She raised her hand and handed him the two freshly clipped roses.

"Thanks Quinn," he replied, accepting the roses with his eyes on them. "They look nice by the way."

She smiled, "Thank you," and started to wander back to her flowers but stopped after two strides and looked back to Sam. "Oh, Sam do you have any plans for Halloween this year?"

He shrugged, "Just work. I wanted to get another storyboard laid out so Puck and I get another installment done before Christmas."

"Ahh I see. Well, consider taking a break for one night and come hang out with Finn and I. There's an English pub opening up next week and we're going to check it out for Halloween."

Sam squinted his eyes a fraction while thinking things over. He hadn't really gone for a night out very much since his cancer went into remission and his desire to go out and socialize hadn't really improved following his break-up last month. After returning his gaze to Quinn he said, "I'll think about it. Puck and I hired someone new to help us out so if we get some progress made before then, I'll see about coming. Thanks for the invite."

"Anytime," she replied with a small smile. "Congrats on your new hire by the way! Enjoy the rest of your day."

He nodded while toasting the two roses in the air and then turned to head inside. After dropping the roses in a tall drinking glass, showering, giving his stubbly goatee a clean shave and getting dressed, he went to one of the other bedrooms in his home, which he had converted into a work space, and started to get things ready. It was the second-biggest bedroom in the cozy home and also the furthest from his bedroom. In it, he had two desks with stacks of drawing paper, pencils of every variety and a plethora of pens that hosted different-sized tips. One wall was mostly made up of cork bulletin boards and the adjacent wall held posters and magazine cut-outs of famous comic and game heroes and villains whom he and Puck admired: Storm and Wolverine, Batman, Mario and Luigi with King Koopa, Iron Man, Captain America, Ken, Ryu, Chun-Li, Vega, Blanka and M. Bison; Green Lantern, Gambit, The Joker and Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, Megatron and Optimus, Thor and Loki, Sonic the Hedgehog and Dr. Robotnik, Black Canary, Miss Marvel, Superman and Lex Luthor, Altair Ibn-L'Ahad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze, The Fantastic Four, Spiderman and Doc Ock, Max Payne, and a "Women of Marvel" calendar in the center that featured She-Hulk for October. The south wall hosted a window that peeked into the back yard.

As Sam straightened up a bit, the doorbell rang. He ditched the pile of papers in his hand and hurried out of the room to answer the door, half-expecting it to be Puck. But he smiled upon opening the door to see Mercedes on the other side. He couldn't help noticing that the color pink looked good on her.

"Hey, welcome!"

"Thanks!" she smiled back and he smiled a tad wider. "You didn't need me to bring anything, did you? I mean I have proof I'm a U.S. citizen and all that…"

"Nah—come in," he stepped aside, gesturing to the rest of the house. "I should've explained more in the park but I know you had to get going so I figure I'd tell you now." As he led her into the living to sit, he noticed her expression had gone wary. His hands came up as he sat down next to her, "It's nothing bad, or at least I hope it won't be for you. I was just going to explain how Puck and I get paid, and how you'll get paid."

She gave one slow nod, "Okay."

"Basically, Puck and I receive checks from Marvel for selling them our work. He and I negotiate with them whenever we have a new installment to _Chronic Chameleon_, or if we have an entirely new comic—which is what we're working on today. Then we'll receive a percentage of the funds made, which all depends on how well the comic's received once it hits the shelves."

"Ohh I see. So…how do the negotiations work? Like..do you guys say 'We want this much money for Volume 3' and they say 'yay' or 'nay'? Or…?"

Sam chuckled, "Something like that. Usually we summarize the events of the comic and then they shoot us a number, based on how much they like it or how well they think it'll sell. Then Puck and I can take the offer or try to persuade them into a higher offer. Usually we take what they offer though since it's pretty decent. So what I'll do is cash my checks when I get them and just write you a check right away and pay you like that if works for you. I mean…technically you wouldn't be getting paid through Marvel like us but in a way you sort of are."

Mercedes' smile returned, "That's fine. And I think I get the negotiation thing. So it's kinda like _Shark Tank_."

"What?"

"_Shark Tank_. You've never watched it?"

Sam shook his head, staring at her with a confused smile.

Her whole face lit up, "Oh you gotta watch it sometime! It's one of my favorite shows but it works a lot like how you guys bargain your comics. It's just that people pitch their inventions and ideas to 5 rich people—they're the sharks—and tell them their offer. Then the sharks can either put themselves out of further negotiations, or they can take the offer exactly as it is, _orr_ they can turn the tables and give the inventor a new offer."

His brows rose a bit, "Wow. Sounds pretty interesting."

"It is. One of the sharks is the guy that owns the Dallas Mavericks. I can't think of his name…"

"Mark Cuban?"

"Yeah! Man he's slick, I swear! He's pissed off the other sharks so many times with how he does business on that show but it's kinda hilarious."

Sam chuckled again; he hadn't expected to break the ice in his home with her by talking reality T.V., but at least it was over a show that actually sounded worth watching and not the junk shows Janelle always watched. She drove him nuts with her _Jersey Shore_ marathons. For a moment he and Mercedes went silent and just stared at one another but as the awkward silence began to descend upon them, the doorbell rang again.

"That must be Puck," said Sam as he stood again. He felt Mercedes' eyes on his back as he made his way to the door again.

"Cap!"

Sam grinned, "Tony! Aw and you brought Abbster!" Right away he reached for the little girl and lifted her high above his head. "Hey kiddo!"

"Yeah, Lauren's working all day today at the hospital."

Abby giggled profusely and reached for Sam's stringy bangs as he lowered her to his hip. He walked them back to the living room with Puck following behind. "I don't need to re-introduce you guys, do I?" he asked Mercedes.

She grinned, "Nope! Abby's hard to forget and I remember her dad. How's it going, Noah?"

Puck nodded 'hello' and slipped the diaper bag off his shoulder while telling her, "Doing alright. And now that we're working together, call me Puck."

"You got it," she replied, beaming her smile from him back to Abby. "So Lauren got the job at the hospital? I remember her telling me a little about it last time I babysat."

Puck wandered over to smooth down his daughter's hair, "Yeah she's kind of like…a nurse apprentice or something until she finishes nursing school."

"Hopefully they're thorough in their teaching," Sam muttered bitterly. Puck chuckled knowingly but he caught Mercedes arching a brow at him.

"Not a fan of doctors, huh?"

"Lately? No, not really."

"His opinion's bias though," replied Puck with a smirk.

"Yeah well, he's not alone in it—I hate them," Mercedes said with little humor in her voice.

Puck saw the near identical bitter looks on Sam and Mercedes' faces and he laughed, "Dang, you two must've had the doctors as kids that didn't give you lollipops when you were good for your shots."

Mercedes chuckled dryly, "I _wish_ it were like that."

Sam arched a brow at her but before he could wonder aloud what her insinuation was about, Puck reminded them that they had work today and the three headed upstairs with Abby to get started together.

* * *

They spent a good four hours that afternoon—first showing Mercedes where everything in the office was, followed by a briefing of their new comic—a female-focused comic originated from Puck as a present for his daughter to one day enjoy. And finally, they dove into brainstorming and sketches of possible characters with a lunch break in between.

"Tell me again why you're not into comic books and stuff?" asked Sam. "For someone who's not, you're really good at this. Not just the drawing but coming up with ideas for them."

Mercedes smiled from behind the desk that was normally his, "I dunno. I told you my brother was always into comics and video games. I like seeing the movies sometimes but…" she shrugged, "I was more into Barbies than Transformers when I was growing up. I wish comics had more Black heroes and villains though."

Sam and Puck looked at each other and then to her. "What do you mean?" asked Puck.

Mercedes shrugged again, "That was something my brother would say a lot, and he still does. I remember him always wondering why there weren't more heroes and villains who looked like him. I know there's Blade, and they made that cartoon show about the guy who gets electricity powers."

"_Static Shock_?" questioned Sam.

"Yeah. I think so. But there's them and then they made Halle Berry play _Catwoman _but from what I heard, her version of Catwoman wasn't anything like the comics."

Sam gazed at her while wheels began to turn in his head. He was holding a sleeping Abby in his harms but when his fingers were lightly tapping her back as he thought.

Puck on the other hand, was leaning his chair back on two legs; he too was staring at Mercedes when he said to her, "Well let me enlighten you a little bit, Mercedes. There's not many non-white heroes and villains in comic books in general. But as far as Black ones go? You've named a few—Blade, Static, and I guess we could lump Catwoman in there even though you're talking about Halley Berry's Catwoman and not Eartha Kitt who came before her."

Mercedes' brows furrowed, looking utterly lost as Puck rambled on in schooling her.

"There's also Ororo, AKA: Storm from X-Men—also played by Ms. Berry in the movies, and if you haven't heard of Storm then you're a lost cause."

"Puck!"

He ignored Sam's scolding call of his name, "And there's also Green Lantern. His ring's been passed on to more than one human and at one point, one of them was Black. He's been portrayed in some cartoons as Black too. Then there's the ones you've probably never heard of—Vixen, Frenzy, Black Panther, Kingpin, Darwin who's Black and Mexican—"

"Latino," corrected Sam.

"Whatever. He's Black and Hispanic. So's Angel Salvadore."

Sam rolled his eyes; trying to get Puck to care about being slightly wrong while he's on a roll almost never happened.

"And you've got Orpheus, Bishop, Tombstone who's Albino, Falcon, Anansi the spider—"

"_Okay_, Stark, I think she gets it," pressed Sam, shaking his head and casting an apologetic look at Mercedes. "But Mercedes, I think we should loan you Volume 1 of _Chronic Chameleons_. You might end up liking it."

It was faint, but he noticed she was blushing—either from chagrin or something else, he couldn't be sure. He offered her a kind smile and wandered over to the corner opposite the door and knelt down in front of a box. After freeing one of his hands from around Abby, he reached inside and pulled out a thin comic book to hand to Mercedes.

She took it in her hands and looked at the cover. Across the top in holographic neon text was the title _Chronic Chameleons, Volume 1! _Below it featured five young adults dressed in regular street clothes—each one wielding power over an element. One of the two featured girls—an Asian girl with straight, choppy hair—had her hands cupped around an invisible orb but at its center was a ball of fire. Next to her was a guy with frizzy afro-like red hair who looked entirely covered in electrical waves; center of the group was a bald, olive-skinned male with a wind-blown Mohawk and miniature twisters swirling up to his biceps. To his right was the second girl who, to Mercedes pleasant surprise was a Black female with free-flowing braids and thin-rimmed glasses who seemed to have power over earth. The last one of the group was a green-eyed blond with water surrounding both fists.

Mercedes smirked and pointed to the guy in the center and the blond on the far right. "Are these two you guys?"

Sam smiled back, "Yeah. We changed their names though but..." he shrugged, "Give it a read in your free time and let us know what you think. Volume 2's out too and we just sent Volume 3 in for publishing so if you like it, there's more to read, and you'll probably get to help us create Volume 4."

She smiled a bit more and told the both of them, "Thank you" while keeping her eyes on Sam.

"My pleasure," he murmured back.

Puck was watching their exchange and his mischievous smirk crept back onto his face. He folded his arms across his chest, letting them stare at each other a bit longer before he interrupted with unnecessary loudness, "So!"

Sam and Mercedes jumped out of their skin and immediately looked to him.

"I think we're done for today." He looked to Mercedes, "Captain was right—you've got some skills." Standing up, he moved to extend a hand to her, "Welcome to the team."

Mercedes smiled and shook his hand back with a soft chuckle, "Thanks. It feels a little weird shaking your hand so formally like this but…thanks, Puck."

Puck looked to Sam and spoke to him as though Mercedes weren't there, "You know if she sticks it out with us she's gonna have to get a nickname."

Sam nodded and smiled again, "She seems pretty fond of Catwoman."

"But she's DC, right? Shouldn't it be a Marvel nickname?" asked Mercedes.

"Oh ho-ho, lookie here!" Puck grinned, "I thought you didn't know much about comics."

Mercedes rolled her eyes, "I told you've I seen some movies, didn't I?"

Sam and Puck looked to one another again and Puck lightly elbowed Sam, "Sassy. I like her even more than before."

Sam chuckled; he hadn't noticed his cheeks had turned a faint shade of pink, "Well…like Puck said, if you decide to stay, we'll get you a nickname. They're always fitting ones."

Puck moved to take his daughter out of Sam's hands and while he did, Sam said, "Oh, hey you two haven't already made plans for Halloween, right?" Mercedes shook her head which made Sam smirk and Puck shrugged a response. Sam explained, "I want to get the storyboard finished for Gladiator Girls."

"Working on Halloween? Man you're turning into an old man before my eyes!" Puck faked a sigh, "Alright, I'll be around. But I'm dressing up and you can't say crap about it."

Sam stared at Puck for a few seconds and then shook his head at him, "If it makes you feel better, Tony."

Puck reached up to tousle Sam's hair and headed for the door, "Later, bro."

"See ya," replied Sam. He glanced at Mercedes who looked amused by their exchange. "Puck," he said as though it were an explanation. "Gotta love him."

She chuckled, "I can see why it'd be hard not to. I didn't expect him to take off so suddenly—I was going to ask you guys something."

Sam's brows perked up, "Oh yeah? Well I can go grab him if you want; he probably hasn't gotten very far with Abbster in his arms.

Mercedes shook her head, "It's okay. I don't wanna burden him when he's got Abby to take care of. But I'm in the musical at McKinley and the arts department is dividing the proceeds from ticket and refreshment sales amongst the Glee club and the Jazz band. I was wondering if you guys wanted to come see it."

"Which one are you in?" asked Sam.

"Huh?"

"I mean are you in Glee club or Jazz band?"

"Oh!" Mercedes smiled again, "Glee club. I'm actually captain right now."

Sam grinned, "Really? That's crazy—I was in Glee club when I went there."

"Are you serious?" she laughed softly, "I'm gonna have to go back through the old yearbooks and see!"

Sam chuckled nervously, "Please don't."

Mercedes brows rose, "Why not? I bet you were cute back then."

"Back then? I'm hurt," he joked. "How old do you think I am?"

"Well…old enough for me not to remember seeing you around campus while I've been there."

He laughed again, "Ouch. I'm not_ that_ old, Mercedes."

"Do tell, Sam," she sassed.

Whether it was her sassy humor or the way she said his name, he wasn't sure but he found himself slipping into another layer of attraction towards her. Unashamed of his age he said, "I'm 23. Class of 2007 with Puck and our friend Finn."

The amusement on Mercedes face turned to shock, "Finn Hudson?"

Sam's brows furrowed but the smile hadn't left his face, "Yeah, he's my neighbor now. You know him?"

"Sort of, yeah—his stepbrother's my best friend!"

"Kurt Hummel?"

"That's the one," she replied. "Wow, small world huh?"

"I'll say."

Again, they lapsed into silent gazes until Mercedes told him, "Well you're right. 23's not that old. And I'd say you're pretty grounded being so young. A good job, a house, a girlfriend—"

"A girlfriend?"

"Yeah. Wasn't that you girlfriend with you at the clinic?"

Confusion crossed Sam's face but left just as quickly, "Ohh, no no that wasn't my girlfriend."

"Oh…" Mercedes now appeared to be the confused one but she shook her head, "Well anyway, you seem to be doing really and I think that's pretty off the hook."

Sam smiled, "Thanks for saying so."

She nodded. "So…can I expect to see you on opening night? Opening night's the week before Thanksgiving and the musical this year's _Chicago_. Kurt and I are both in it. I'm playing Mama Morton and he's playing Billy Flynn."

For a second, Sam tried to think if he had any mandatory plans that week. He could think of none—mostly because he was incredibly interested in knowing what Mercedes voice sounded like in song. Casting a crooked smile at her, he said, "Consider me there."

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! Sorry this was so long but I hope you enjoyed it! What do you think so far? Any predictions on events coming down the road? I apologize for any errors; most of this got typed early this morning while I was running on about 3 hours of sleep. More is coming soon! I promise more interaction between Sam and Mercedes VERY soon, plus Mercedes' decision and the reveal of what Rachel plans to do with the information she acquired.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Been reading all your reviews! Thanks a million for them! I've thought over the questions that came with some of your reviews. Fret not! Some questions will be answered here while others…well, you'll have to wait to get the answer ;) Read on and enjoy!**_

* * *

"Alright guys. I know there's a lot on everyone's plate with school work on top of Sectionals happening right before the musical, but if I didn't think you guys could do this, I would have moved the dates of the musical." Mr. Schuester looked around at his students and then clasped his hands together, "So! Let's get to practicing. Rachel, Mercedes—start us off with your ballad."

The rival seniors stood from the risers and positioned themselves side-by-side on the tile floor. The two girls sang through their duet of "If I Were A Boy" by Beyoncé without a hitch; and then Mr. Schue requested to see the group finale number. It was the day after Halloween and all of the New Directions members seemed too distracted to give their all during their Sectionals run-through. Halfway through their performance of Bruno Mars' "The Other Side", Mr. Schue stopped their performance. Artie, Joe, and Kurt were being heavily featured in this number but the trio, along with the rest of the group quit singing and looked to their teacher.

"Come on you guys! We've simplified the choreography and most of you aren't even trying."

"No offense, Mr. Schue," Sugar dully interrupted, "But this isn't really a number for half of us to get all that excited about."

"I have to agree Mr. Schue," chimed in Rachel. "Artie, Kurt and Joe split the vocals while the rest of us just ooo and harmonize in the background?"

"Hm, interesting. It's kind of like what the rest of us had to do whenever you've gotten solos in the past," Kurt sarcastically noted. Mercedes stifled a snort and Tina and Artie snickered; Rachel shot the three of them a look while Mr. Schue spoke up.

"It's too close to the competition for us to change our closing number, Rachel."

"Mr. Schue?" Mercedes spoke up, "How about this…our opening number is already pretty shaky. Why don't we just scrap that one and make it a girls' group number?"

Mr. Schuester rested his hands on his hips, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He cast a stern look at his captain and asked, "Well…do you ladies think you can pull something off?"

Mercedes looked at each of the girls; Sugar was nodding profusely, Rachel was nodding as though Mercedes' should obviously agree. Tina smiled and shrugged and the other girls seemed to agree. She looked back to their teacher and gave him a confident smile, "We got this, Mr. Schue."

"Alright," he said in a wary tone. "I'm giving you girls until Monday to show us what you've got. Otherwise we're sticking with "ABC" for the opening number. Remember though, girls…the theme this year is 'Empowerment'."

The girls quietly celebrated and Mr. Schuester had them group up in the corner to brain storm song choices while the guys ran through "The Other Side" from the top.

"So…none of the songs we've already got are all that empowering," noted Tina.

"That's not true. 'If I Were A Boy' has its own translation of empowerment. It's delivering a message for men to be less conventional and go above to love, cherish and respect their women. It _empowers _them to not be predictable."

Mercedes fought the urge to roll her eyes. The message of empowerment in "If I Were A Boy" wasn't exactly blatant but she knew she could count on Rachel to make it seem as though it was. _Anything to avoid a moment in the spotlight_, she thought in regard to her rival.

"What about "Independent Woman"? That song screams 'Empowerment'?" suggested Sugar.

Some of the other girls seemed to agree but Rachel interjected again, "I don't think so. You, Mercedes, Santana and Brittany did a Destiny's Child/Gloria Gaynor mash-up last year for Sectionals—"

"I miss Britt and Santana," pouted Sugar.

Rachel went on, "—We don't wanna go with the same artist two years in a row."

Again, Tina pointed out, "But you and Mercedes are singing Beyoncé for our ballad."

"Th-that's different," Rachel replied. "Beyoncé is a solo artist now; Destiny's Child was a group she was in."

Some of the other girls started to argue that Beyoncé's role in Destiny's Child hardly differed from how her music is now, but Mercedes finally decided to throw in her suggestion.

"Alright listen. I kinda agree that we need something that's a little more direct in showing that we got the theme. And since Mr. Schue's letting us do an all-girls' number, let's do a number by the biggest all girl group of all time."

Soon, a wide smile spread across Sugar's face. She was bouncing up and down in her seat like she might combust at any second, "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking, 'Cedes?"

Mercedes mimicked her bright smile and nodded, speaking three words: "The Spice Girls." The reaction from most of the girls was an undeniable burst of excitement.

"So excited!" gushed Tina. "And it's perfect because most of their songs already have the vocal duty split up."

"Exactly," Mercedes said, "We could take parts with our strongest voices and everyone will get to do more than just 'ooo' and 'ahh'."

Rachel folded her arms across her chest, "So what song are we doing?"

"Too Much!"

"Wannabe!"

"Say You'll Be There!"

All the girls were piping up with Spice Girls hits. They debated a bit longer until they narrowed down their options to "Never Give Up on the Good Times" and "Spice Up Your Life". After putting it to a vote amongst themselves, they agreed to perform "Never Give Up on the Good Times" for Sectionals and later asked Mr. Schue if they could swap with the boys as the finale, rather than the opening number.

Once the bell rang, the girls had the vocals for the song divvied out and planned to practice choreography during the next two school days. They gathered up their things and, along with the boys, made to leave the classroom. Mercedes grabbed her large purse and started to leave and catch up with Kurt so they could jet off for their late lunch date at Breadstix but she hadn't quite made it to the door.

"Mercedes!"

She stopped and turned her head to see Rachel standing in the middle of the room with her notebooks clutched in front of her chest. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Mercedes' brows came together as she slowly stepped back into the choir room. She tried to lose her look of skepticism but considering she and Rachel hardly ever had a friendly conversation with one another, she could hardly imagine why she wanted to speak with her now.

"What's wrong?" asked Mercedes.

Rachel shook her head, "N-nothing. I just…well…you're sure you can handle all this? I mean you're captain of Glee club on top of your classes, the musical and…well I'm sure you've been submitting your college applications, right?"

Slightly taken aback, Mercedes tightened the pull on her brows, causing deep creases to appear on her forehead. "Um…yeah I'm sure I can handle it all. I've been doing fine so far. Thanks."

Rachel immediately twitched a smile and stammered on, "Okay then. I mean I was just noticing that you keep leaving class more frequently than usual, but your fainting spells have stopped."

Inside, Mercedes was panicked and equally irritated that Rachel was keeping tabs on her. "Soo…your point?"

"Well…I—I mean it all just seemed really sudden. I was just wondering if you're well enough to do this. Leading glee club's a big responsibility and you don't want to let the club suffer anymore because of your health, and…your well-being shouldn't suffer for the sake of trying to keep the club together—"

"Look Rachel," Mercedes said, cutting her ramble off. "I don't know why my health's your business but I told you: I can handle myself and this club." She took Rachel's irritated, clenched jaw with a grain of salt and excused herself from the choir room, muttering, "Later."

As she passed the threshold, she saw Rachel glaring at her from her peripheral vision.

* * *

"So what did Berry want?" asked Kurt after they were seated at the small, Italian-themed hot spot. It had been nearly empty during this time of day, but both teens were glad to have some level of privacy.

Mercedes rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her water, "She wanted to see if I could handle everything that was going on." Mercedes chuckled one short chuckle, "She doesn't even know everything I'm handling right now; yeah there's Sectionals, college apps and the musical but she forgot to mention…" Mercedes counted off on her fingers, "Work, graduating and oh yeah, my baby."

Kurt repeatedly shook his head. After their waitress took their drink orders, he brought his attention back to Mercedes, "Well whatever—Rachel only knows about things that have something for her in it. I'm sure she thinks if you seem off your game, then she can talk Mr. Schue into taking over as captain of the Glee club."

"Tsh, yeah after Santana and Brittany co-captained last year and named me their successor, I thought Rachel was gonna have a cow."

He chuckled, "Well…whatever—forget about her. Let's talk about work! How's working with Mr. McDreamy going?"

Mercedes watched him lean forward with his chin resting in both hands. She giggled and shook her head, "That's not his name, Kurt."

"Well it might as well be his name. Don't tell me you don't think he's sexy."

"He is…I mean, I just can't think of him that way—he's my boss first."

Kurt rolled his eyes, "Oh could you not be such a goody-goody for once?"

Mercedes bit her lip, "Well…don't you think he's a bit old for me?"

"I dunno," shrugged Kurt, "How old is he again? 22?"

"23. He went to McKinley too."

"Awww—"

"Okay you need to stop 'aww'-ing at everything I tell you that involves him."

"23's not that old, Mercedes. He doesn't even look much older than us—well, when I saw him he didn't. Besides, he's got a job, a house, a car which says he's successful and responsible. And you _know_ you're too responsible for an almost 18 year-old, so if we're talking maturity and looks, I'd say you need to snag that man off the market so Blaine and I can double date with you guys."

Mercedes brows twitched as a thought crossed her mind, "Wait, he said he's friends with Finn…they graduated together, and you never saw him before?"

Kurt flicked his wrist, "I don't really keep track of Finn's friends. I've heard Sam's name a lot when he'd go hang out or help him and Noah with their projects…I never really saw him around, but…I do remember a couple years back, Finn told my dad and Carole that Sam had cancer. I guess he's okay now—I mean he was looking pretty healthy at the clinic with that beautiful blond head of hair and those broad shoulders…"

"Okay, that's enough Kurt," Mercedes replied, giggling and shaking her head at his dreamy gaze. A lot of the things Kurt pointed about her and Sam were true though; he seemed really put together and while she didn't know he'd previously had cancer—which would explain the scar behind his right ear where no hair had grown—she admired him that much more for pushing on and living his life as he'd been. And she would be lying if she said she wasn't drawn to him: his looks and his dorky yet kind-hearted personality were equally attractive in her eyes. But she sighed, "Look I know he's cute and sweet and all but…even if there was something between us, he's not gonna want me."

"Why not?" asked Kurt. "You're a total catch Mercedes and trust me—an older guy unlike Shane is exactly who you should be looking for."

"Um, Earth-to-Ivory? How would I explain being pregnant? _No one's_ gonna wanna date me while I'm carrying a baby that's not theirs."

"Hey your waitress went on her break, so I'm taking over 'til she gets back."

Kurt and Mercedes looked up to see a blonde-headed line chef with blue-green eyes standing in front of their table. Mercedes thought looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there, but she and Kurt gave their orders anyway. As she wandered away, Kurt asked, "Speaking of baby daddies, do you know who yours is yet?"

Mercedes shook her head, "They won't tell us. In fact they're not giving us any information anymore."

"_What_?"

"Yeah, my mom's been on the phone with her lawyer about it almost every day. Ever since she and my dad filed the lawsuit, the clinic's been keeping their mouths shut and telling my parents and their lawyer to contact _their_ lawyers."

Kurt shook his head, hissing a sigh, "What an absurd load of garbage. What if the dad's got some freaky genetic disease or something?"

Mercedes pursed her lip, "Gee, thanks."

He raised his hands as if in surrender, "Hey I'm just saying. For your sake and the baby's they really should at least give you a name. It's not like they have to sit you guys down together and introduce you to each other. Giving you a name could at least give _you _something to start with."

"I know. Trust me—you're not saying something that my parents haven't already said to their lawyer."

"Well...I hope you'll find out soon. I know I'd wanna know. Anyway, how was Halloween? Did you go to work dressed up?"

Right away, Mercedes smiled, "Yeah I just recycled my Red Riding Hood costume. Sam, Puck and I worked downstairs so we could take turns handing out candy."

"What did Sam think of your Little Red costume?" Kurt asked, wiggling his brows and causing Mercedes to laugh.

"You're a mess!"

"I'm waiting for an answer."

Shaking her head—with an untamable smile—she tried to keep her voice casual and said, "He told me I looked good."

A few seconds of silence passed before Kurt mocked, "'Looked good'? Mercedes, _red_ is your color. You look more than 'good' in that costume."

"Ha! You sound like Puck. He elbowed Sam and said I was smokin'."

Sighing and shaking his head, Kurt said, "It's a good thing that boy has his friend and you have me. Otherwise I'm never gonna get my double date."

* * *

Sam's foot touched down on the hardwood floor of the Fabray-Hudson kitchen again. He handed the crystal vase he just retrieved for Quinn from the high floating shelf above the cabinets and cast a friendly smirk to her, "There ya go."

Quinn smiled back, "Thanks Sam." She then lightly teased, "If Finn were here I know he'd have no problem getting it for me."

The two chuckled lightly and Sam told her, "It's no problem. You're just lucky you caught me when you did. I was getting to run some errands."

"Oh I didn't hold you up too much with this did I?"

He shook his head, "No it's okay. I'm just going to the store."

Quinn nodded and cocked her head slightly, casting a curious smile at him, "Something seems different about you lately."

"Really?" asked Sam who was genuinely oblivious to his supposed change.

"Yeah, I don't really know. You just seem…happier. I'm glad you do, especially with everything you've been going through the past couple months."

"Heh," Sam's smile hollowed, "Yeah, well…I'm hoping this whole surrogate mix-up thing will get resolved soon. There's not much I can do until I make time to seek some legal advice."

"What's going on that you're seeking legal advice now?"

He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a sigh before he dove into the last conversation he had with Nurse Nina, which ended in his lawsuit threat.

"So…yeah. I wasn't actually planning to sue. I thought making the threat might make them loosen their lips but so far it hasn't really worked, so I wanna talk to a lawyer or something and find out my rights and what I can do to find out if someone out there might be carrying my kid and who they are."

Quinn was frowning slightly at him, "I hate to say it, Sam but that threat probably wasn't the best idea. Their pre-existing lawsuit would likely be their reason for being so tight-lipped with you. They've already screwed up big time with this whole mix-up, and keeping their mouth shut to everyone would probably do more good than harm for them at this point. But you, slapping another lawsuit on them—whether you were serious or not—may have just fueled them to remain mum on the situation until they know they're in a clearing."

He pursed his lips and swallowed; Quinn was undoubtedly right and he was far from happy about it. Shaking his head a few times, he filled his lungs with air and let it back out in a sigh, "You know…I'd be willing to talk things out and try to get the other lawsuit dropped if they would just give me a dang name or something."

Quinn's brows shot up, "Okay hold on. First, you shouldn't encourage the other person's lawsuit to be dropped. That clinic needs to learn a lesson and if they get away with this without some heavy consequences then they're bound to make a mistake like this again—or worse. And second, I have faith that things will work out the way that they're supposed to soon enough."

Sam cocked a brow, "Why do you say that?"

She shrugged, "I'm not sure. I just can't imagine…if someone out there is pregnant with a child that's also yours, I can't imagine they wouldn't want to try and find _you_ too."

At this, Sam's confidence had taken a slight boost. Perhaps Quinn was right and he would know something, one way or the other—sooner rather than later, or never.

* * *

"Hey Janelle, can you cover for me? I'm going on break."

The blonde woman sighed, wiping down her work space and said, "Fine, Helen."

"Can you watch the front? There's just a couple of kids in from the high school."

"Whatever. Yeah I got it."

Her co-worker lingered at the door for a moment; Janelle could only guess that Helen had an annoyed look on her face but she didn't care. Once the other girl left the kitchen, Janelle set the wet rag aside and wandered out of the kitchen. Her eyes swept the nearly empty dining floor until she spotted a boy and girl sitting at one of the tables near the entrance. Reluctantly, she wandered over to them and overheard a bit of their conversation. _What is it with people in this town and babies?_ She wondered. Aloud, she interrupted them, saying, "Hey your waitress went on her break, so I'm taking over 'til she gets back."

The two teens stared at her and then the boy spoke up in a soft-spoken yet confident tone, "I'll have the chicken parmesan."

Janelle nodded once and then turned her gaze on the girl.

"I'll just have a Caesar salad."

_Surprise, surprise_. "Okay," she said to them before wandering away. This was not the life she saw for herself. She thought she might have been able to talk her ex-boyfriend into moving to LA where she could pursue her career as a culinary chef and he could draw his comics. But he was happy staying right in Lima—near his family, in his grandparents' home and filling it with kids.

Janelle shuddered at the thought and shook her head. None of that was what she wanted but she knew there was financial security in staying with Sam, among some pleasing, physical benefits…

She returned to her station and began preparing the chicken; the salad took no time at all so she left the ready plate nearby and finished up with the other dish. After laying the chicken breast over a bed of penne noodles, she artfully covered it in marinara sauce and sprinkled a heavy amount of parmesan cheese along the top. Some ten minutes after taking their order she was returning o their table, only to eavesdrop on their conversation once more.

"Ha! You sound like Puck. He elbowed Sam and said I was smokin'."

Mid-stride, Janelle froze; her eyes widened at the sound of her ex-boyfriend and his friend's names.

"It's a good thing that boy has his friend and you have me. Otherwise I'm never gonna get my double date."

_Wait…this is the same chick who was just talking about babies and being pregnant, and now she's talking about Sam and Puck. And I've never seen her, ever—oh shit. Shit, shit, shit! _Janelle couldn't believe what she was realizing; she nearly dropped their plates but her feet quickly carried her onward. The two teens looked up at her as she haphazardly set their plates on the table and rushed back to the kitchen, ignoring their comments of upset. She gripped the edge of the counter as the bits of their conversation echoed in her mind. "_How would I explain being pregnant? No one's gonna wanna date me while I'm carrying a baby that's not theirs_.", "_It's a good thing that boy has his friend and you have me. Otherwise I'm never gonna get my double date_." Janelle's eyes stared restlessly at the stovetop, trying to make sense of the information.

"…_while I'm carrying a baby that's not theirs_."

"…_It's a good thing that boy has his friend…I'm never gonna get my double date_…"

"Sam doesn't know…" she whispered. "She's pregnant and…doesn't know it's his." Her gaze snapped up while her jaw slackened, "_He_ must not know either…" For a moment she doubted her own deduction but the more she dissected the conversation, the more she became certain that she was right. She picked up her jaw, letting her lips creep into a contemplative smirk. Wheels were cranking in her head; she promised Sam some Karma and after some more information and careful planning, she intended to make good on her word.

* * *

_**Please leave me reviews! A much-anticipated revelation is coming in the next chapter!**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Another lengthy chapter. Enjoy!**_

* * *

Sam entered the familiar auditorium, moments before the performance was set to start, and was handed a program that read _CHICAGO_ in bold red letters across the top. Below, he saw a black and white photo of a jail cell with a pinstripe fedora propped on a mic stand in front. As he found himself a seat, he flipped open the program and skimmed through the list of cast members to see if he recognized any other names besides Mercedes' and Kurt's. No other names looked familiar to him but he made a mental note to say 'hi' to Mr. Schue after the show.

"Sam!" he heard a familiar voice call out above the low buzz of other voices. He looked down the row he was standing near and saw Mercedes' mom and dad; her mom was waving at him with a soft smile. He returned the smile and started making his way down the aisle, all the while clutching his program around a bouquet of red roses.

One evening, Mercedes' car was having trouble and Sam offered to give her a ride home; he'd met the ever kind but fierce Mrs. Tamara Jones. Without really trying he'd won her over and earned himself an invitation over for dinner as a thank you for giving her daughter a job—albeit an unofficial one, she was grateful her daughter was getting some work experience and a friendly reference for her to use in the future. A week prior to this evening, he'd revisited the Jones residence as per Mrs. Jones' request from her offer.

"_Hey!" Mercedes greeted him upon opening the front door. He hadn't expected her to step forward and hug him but he certainly didn't complain. As he returned the hug tightly, he breathed in the smell of wild strawberry from her hair and sweet honeysuckle coming from her skin. It was intoxicating in the most wonderful way._

"_Hey Stormy," he murmured back with a wink, referencing her newly earned nicknames, Ororo or Storm._

_Mercedes was still beaming but she stepped aside and invited him in. Right away the appetizing smell of some sort of Mexican dish filled Sam's nose. It grew stronger with his strides inside the Jones' bulky estate; they made their way into the kitchen where Mrs. Jones was standing over a large pot, stirring around a plastic ladle. _

"_Evening, Mrs. Jones. Whatever you're cooking smells amazing."_

_Mrs. Jones turned around with a smile already on her face, "Thanks Sam. Hope you like Taco Soup."_

"_Never had it before but I'm sure I'll like it," he replied with his signature crooked smile. And then he heard one of the deepest voices he'd ever heard in his life, causing him to quickly turn around._

"_Welcome, Sam."_

_Mercedes smiled, "Dad, this is Sam Evans. Sam, this is my dad."_

"_Mr. Jones," the elder man added to his introduction. "Nice to meet you, Sam."_

_Sam stepped back towards the kitchen entry arch with his arm extended to shake Mr. Jones' hand; there was an undeniable resemblance between him and his daughter. "Pleasure to meet you, sir."_

_Mr. Jones accepted the handshake and smirked, impressed, "Polite. And you sound like you're from the south—you've got a bit of an accent."_

_Chuckling nervously, Sam said, "Well my family and I used to live in Tennessee before we moved to Ohio."_

"_I see. Well my wife and I are grateful for you helping out Mercedes with this comic book job. I used to be a comic book reader, myself."_

_Immediately Sam perked up, "Really?"_

_Mr. Jones hiccupped a low chuckle, "Yep. Gave most of my old Batman and Blade comics to my son, Trent when he was a kid. Here, let me show you." He led the way back out of the room, and Sam followed with an apologetic gaze back at Mercedes._

_Mercedes merely rolled her eyes smiling and waved him off._

It had been a lax and warming dinner. By the time he left, his stomach was full of Mrs. Jones' Taco Soup and Mercedes' peanut butter cookies. He'd had the opportunity to not only see Mercedes in the comfort of her own home, but he also came to know her parents a little better than a brief spout of gratitude for helping their daughter. Now he was sitting beside them, telling Mrs. Jones again how great the soup was and if he learned to be a better cook, he'd have to ask her for the recipe one day.

"It's not hard, I promise," chuckled Mrs. Jones. "In fact, remind me during the intermission—I'll write it down for you."

The lights dimmed and Sam whispered, "Thanks."

Their attention went to the stage as the brassy sound of a lone trumpet played the introduction to "All That Jazz". Unable to help himself, Sam smiled when an unseen male spoke, "And now, ladies and gentlemen—the Keeper of the Keys, the Countess of the Clink, the Mistress of Murderess Row. Matron "Mama" Morton!"

Again, there was a fanfare of loud, jazzy brass notes, followed by a scatter of catcalls as Mercedes strutted out from stage left. His eyes were looking her up and down; momentarily they fixed on the mountainous curves at her chest but the moment she opened her mouth, her voice stole his attention. Throughout her solo of "When You're Good to Mama", he'd been blown away by how flawless her voice was. She was truly gifted and he couldn't get enough of listening to her. And when she finished, it became evident that he wasn't the only one who felt this way. The entire audience exploded in claps and cheers by the end of the number. Her parents and he had stood up and Sam even threw a few helicopter twirls of his fist.

During the intermission, he wandered into the lobby to buy himself a bottle of water; he ran into Finn, his mom and stepdad and Quinn. The three friends chatted for a moment and as they started heading back inside, Finn told him, "Hey I know Breadstix probably isn't your favorite place right now, but we're all taking Kurt and his friend there after the show if you wanna come along." Sam made a face and Finn shrugged while innocently adding, "Maybe she won't be there tonight."

"I dunno, dude. Wait…what friend? Mercedes?"

Finn cocked a brow, "Yeah? Wait…she's the one who's been working with you and Puck lately, huh?"

"Yeah. She's going too?"

"I think so. But so what? Janelle's the one you're worried about right?"

"Right. And if she's working tonight, nothing good will come out of us running into each other."

"Just…think it over and meet us there if you're gonna come."

The lights in the lobby dimmed and illuminated repeatedly, indicating that the intermission was coming to an end. They went back inside and Sam found his seat next to the Jones' again. Mrs. Jones handed him a receipt paper and Sam looked down at it, confused.

"The recipe," she said in a remindful tone.

"Oh! Right! Thanks again," he replied smiling softly. He glanced over her neat handwriting for a moment and then folded it up and bookmarked it inside his program as the second act began.

* * *

At the end of the production, after the standing ovation through the curtain call, Sam made his way out of the aisle ahead of her parents. They went to the lobby and headed outside, standing in a small group with Kurt's family and talking about what an outstanding job everyone had done. Finally, the cast made their way outside and Sam started to look above the heads to try and spot Mercedes. Of the two people in the cast whom he'd known, Kurt was the only one he saw. Out of his peripheral vision he saw Finn wave to him; Kurt swiftly made his way through the crowd, directly to him. He was still covered with stage make-up and he'd emerged clad in his sparkling pinstripe lawyer's suit.

"Congratulations, Kurt!" said his dad, hugging him first. He was then passed on to Carole and then Finn gave him a one-armed hug and congratulated him as well.

As Quinn made to hug him, Sam asked, "Hey Kurt, was Mercedes behind you?"

"Hm? No she's changing clothes first. Which I need to do too before my costume gets messed up." He glanced down while gesturing to the three-piece outfit but as his head slowly rose back up, his bright blue eyes looked directly at Sam and he cast a knowing smile. "By the way, I don't think we were ever formally introduced. You're Sam, right?" His hand extended to Sam, "I'm Kurt."

Sam shook his hand back, "Uh…yeah I know." He chuckled once. "You're Finn's step brother. And Mercedes talks about you at work."

Kurt's smile grew a bit, "Oh really? That's funny because she talks about_ you_ at school!" His eyes barely lingered on Sam's face, due to the cellophane-wrapped roses and he grinned, "Ooo, those wouldn't happen to be for her, would they?"

Sam wondered if Quinn saw his reddening cheeks because she spoke up, "Kurt, you better hurry and change clothes if we're all going to Breadstix for dinner."

"Right, I almost forgot!" He chuckled haughtily and said, "Nice meeting you, Sam. Oh and for the future," his voice lowered and he tapped his finger on the top of the cellophane, "she loves the color purple."

He nodded—slightly dumbfounded—and watched Kurt make an agile slip back through the crowd. Vaguely, he was attentive to the conversation around him between the Jones' adults and Burt and Carole Hummel. Finn had joined their conversation, asking Burt if it was alright that he'd invited Sam to come along. At the mention of Breadstix again, Sam was reminded that he had a decision to make. In all honesty, he knew that he could keep himself composed, should Janelle be working that evening. His feelings for her had long-since fizzled while being replaced with blossoming feelings for a certain doe-eyed young woman. But he certainly couldn't see Janelle acting maturely if _she_ saw him.

"So you're coming, right dude?" asked Finn.

Sam opened his mouth to turn down the offer but before he could, he heard Mercedes' name.

"You did such a good job, Baby," spoke Mrs. Jones who walked over to hug Mercedes.

Sam smiled and patiently waited while her parents and Kurt's parents hugged and congratulated her. Then her eyes locked on him and he smiled at her; she approached him and he grinned softly at her. "Your voice is incredible, Stormy."

She giggled that infectious peal and bobbed her head with a short nod, "Thanks, Captain."

"These are for you."

He held the roses out to her and watched her lips stretch into a bright grin. Her head bowed to bury her nose in the slightly blossomed petals; while her button nose remained rubbed against the petals, her gaze fled back up to Sam's face. "These are beautiful."

He hadn't expected it but she closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around his middle. He knew his cheeks and ears were burning but not enough of him cared about that right now. This amazing girl who happened to stumble into his life was hugging him and all he wanted to do was hug her back, so he did.

"_You're_ beautiful," he whispered into her hair without thinking.

For a moment he went rigid at the realization that those thoughts had escaped his mouth. But it was too late for him to do anything about it. Mercedes raised her head and was looking up at him with wide eyes and undeniably darker cheeks.

"Okay I'm back!"

He and Mercedes both jumped and she quickly let him go, clutching the roses with both hands while she about faced to see Kurt approaching.

"Blaine's meeting at us at Breadstix."

"Kurt, look," Mercedes said with a smile.

"Ooo yes, I saw. You like them?"

She nodded, "You know it. Roses are one of my favorite flowers."

"Since when?" scoffed Kurt, earning him an elbow to the chest.

Sam watched the two of them with raised brows, amused by how flustered Mercedes got.

"Are you two ready to go?" asked Burt Hummel.

The three looked over to Mr. Hummel and took turns saying 'yes'. As a group they made their way over to their cars and headed off to Breadstix.

* * *

The group of ten were getting up from their two tables—Kurt and Blaine, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Hummel, Finn and Quinn and Sam and Mercedes. Blaine, and Kurt headed off and Mr. and Mrs. Jones left as well. As Mr. and Burt and Carole were getting to go, Mercedes asked them, "So you guys are coming to my Christmas/Grad party, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Mercedes. I don't start my position in congress until January," said Burt. "Hey, congratulations on graduating early by the way."

Carole asked, "Is it at your parents' house?"

Mercedes shook her head, "Mm-mm, it's gonna here. Right when winter break starts."

Sam chuckled, "You really like Breadstix, huh?"

Mercedes bit her bottom lip and said, "Well I've been craving it a lot lately. I um…" She looked around at Finn, Quinn, Mr. and Mrs. Hummel and finally Sam and said, "I—"

"It's okay," Carole rubbed her arm, "Your mom told us. We know, sweetie."

Sam narrowed his eyes in confusion; he quickly glanced over to Finn and Quinn who looked as lost as he did but Burt and Carole cut off his view of them as they moved to hug Mercedes goodbye.

"Finn, Quinn?" spoke Burt. He jerked his head towards the parking lot, indicating for them to leave as well.

"Uhh…well I guess I'll catch you later, dude?" said Finn, clapping a hand briefly to Sam's shoulder. He lowered the hand away to take Quinn's and the two headed out, following Burt and Carole.

Sam looked to Mercedes but she didn't return the gaze. He placed a hand on her shoulder and asked, "Are you okay?"

He saw Mercedes let her lip go and frown, "I'm just…nervous is all."

Before he could ask 'what about', she slipped away from his gentle touch and walked out Breadstix front doors with her purse clutched to her chest. Sam pursed his lips and swallowed, following after her. They didn't say anything until they were standing in between their cars—Mercedes' Equinox and his Frontier. Their backs were to their own cars; Sam's green hues were searching her face for answers but she was staring at the floor. He couldn't understand what had suddenly got to her but it bothered him to see her looking so upset. He wasn't sure what he could do to make her feel better but he tried by reaching out and taking her hand.

Right away, Mercedes looked up at him. Her large, sad, beautiful eyes were gazing into his pair. Something in those eyes compelled him to slowly lean in until their lips met. Her lips puckered slightly against his and he shut his eyes, tilting his head slightly while his hand slipped out of hers to cup her cheek. He felt her lips press a bit harder to his, deepening the kiss; he smiled against her lips, but she suddenly gasped for air and pulled away.

Sam's eyes opened again to look at her. She'd brought a hand over her mouth and looked like she was about to cry.

"Mercedes, I—I'm sorry if I went too far. I really like you and—"

"N-no," she cut across shaking her head. "You didn't go too…S-sam I just. I really like you too but…" she drew in a deep breath, clenching her fist to her chest and sighed, "Look I don't want to hurt you."

His eyes narrowed with confusion, "I don't think you'd do that. And just so you know, I wouldn't hurt you, Mercedes."

She was shaking her head again, "No you don't understand, Sam. I don't wanna keep this from you anymore—you or Puck. You guys have been really good to me with this job…and you're one of the sweetest guys I've ever met. I can't keep this from you anymore."

His eyes were staring intensely at her realization was creeping at a snail's pace over him until Mercedes slammed her confession on him.

"Sam… I'm pregnant."

He went entirely rigid; immediately after her words echoed once in his mind, his thoughts immediately flashed back to the day in the clinic when he encountered her, along with his initial thoughts on the maternity of his baby.

"Sam?" Mercedes' hand hesitated at his shoulder. "Sam, are you okay?"

Sam blinked several times before answering. "What did you say?" he foolishly asked.

"I said I'm…I'm pregnant—but it's not what you think. I'm not a girl who just…sleeps around with people and…this wasn't even supposed to happen. I know this sounds crazy but…I went to the doctor's to get a shot…"

_This can't be happening_...he thought.

"And they gave me the wrong one…"

_This is really happening_…

"It ended up being an A.I. shot instead of this other shot I was supposed to get. And now, I…yeah…"

He already knew the answer but asked anyway, "Who's the father?"

She shrugged while simultaneously shaking her head, "I don't know. We're going through this whole lawsuit thing and now they won't tell us anything because of it."

Sam's head was spinning. How was he supposed to just tell her that he's the father after he stupidly asked her who it was? After he just kissed her and confessed to liking her?

"Are you okay, Sam?" Mercedes asked him again.

His jaw clenched for a moment and then quietly he wondered, "What are you going to do, Mercedes?"

He looked up in time to see that she'd been taken aback by his interest in her pregnancy. "Wow um…I thought you'd be halfway home after I told you this," she chuckled humorlessly and said, "Well…I'm keeping it. My parents already know…Kurt and his parents already know about it. Soon enough, when I start showing I'm sure the whole town will know but…I'd considered adoption for a while but I couldn't do it. Not after my first appointment."

She was staring off at nothing in particular with a faint smile on her face, "They did an ultrasound and I saw it, and heard its heart and I…" Her head slowly shook while never changing her distant gaze. "I don't know…I just couldn't do it. I couldn't give away this baby, even if it wasn't my plan. God's always got something up his sleeve when you least expect though. And I know I got a lot going on right now with…the musical happening, the glee club gearing up for Regionals now, my finals, work, waiting to hear back from colleges…" Finally her eyes went back to Sam's face and she sheepishly smiled, "I'm sorry—I probably sound really lame to you right now."

"No," Sam answered quickly and then caught himself, "No you don't." Wheels had been spinning wildly in his head but he quickly decided not to reveal his identity as the father to her just yet. Hearing that she was keeping the baby was a blessing in disguise, and knowing that she had a heavy load on her mind already was probably filling her stress quota for the time being. He told himself to wait but out loud he said, "Listen Mercedes, I have to get going but—"

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"For what?" he asked, genuinely puzzled while his hand froze over the pocket that held his keys.

"Telling you I like you, then following up with 'oh by the way, I'm pregnant'? How could I _not_ have scared you off?"

He shook his head, "No, no you didn't. I swear, it's just…I just remembered something and I need to take care of it like…right now. I…I have to go to the bathroom! Yeah, um…nature calls and all that. But I promise…" he reached out and grabbed both of her hands with his. "I'm gonna be here for you as much as possible. I know it sounds weird, but…just trust me. Or at least…consider me another person on the list of people who care a lot about you."

_And our baby_, he thought to himself. "And if you need something, don't hesitate to ask me, okay?"

She bit her lip again and nodded, "You know…it's still a little strange to me that you're this amazing."

He smiled crookedly; guilt was starting to get to him for not telling her but inside he was still recovering from his shock about the news and right now, he needed to talk to one of his friends.

"I better get going too, I guess. School and another performance of _Chicago_ tomorrow. But I'll see you on Monday at 4, right?"

"Right," he replied automatically. In truth, any thoughts of work were miles away from his mind.

Mercedes gave him another hug and he hugged her back, sliding his hands around the middle of her back. This time when they hugged, he held her firmly but carefully and then let her go.

"Thanks again for coming tonight and…thanks for being so understanding about my situation, Captain."

He nodded once and pressed his lips to her forehead, "Take care, Stormy. Of you and the baby."

She smiled that infectious smile at him and said, "I will."

As she turned to get into her car, Sam stayed by the passenger door of his Frontier until she pulled away. Once he felt he was in the clear, he strode back towards Breadstix while pulling his phone out and found the number he was looking for. It rang twice before he heard the voice he needed to hear.

"Hey, Son—"

"Dad I know who it is. I know who's carrying my kid and I'm losing my mind a little bit."

"Whoa," spoke Mr. Evans, "Slow down there, Sam. How do you know who it is?"

"Because she just told me to my face, Dad. And what's worse is she doesn't even know it!"

He held a calm urgency in his voice as he spoke but his dad was lagging in comprehension.

"What? How?

Sam let out an exasperated sigh and gave his Dad a speedy play-by of his conversation with Mercedes in the parking lot, while filling in parts with reminders.

"And I just let her go home without knowing. I don't know how to tell her without screwing things up."

"Son, why do you think you would be screwin' things up? I mean if she doesn't know, don't you think this would be a stress relief for her?"

"Not really. She's got a million other things going on and she didn't seem too worried about whether or not there was a dad in the picture or not."

"So tell me again why you wouldn't tell her?"

Again, Sam sighed shortly, "She's already got a lot on her mind and I'm sure it's more than what she needs to be dealing with right now, given her condition. But on top of that…" he paused to swallow hard and lowered his voice, "I really care about her, Dad. She's a great girl and…I just don't want her thinking I'm getting close to her just because she's mothering my kid. If I tell her, she might not be so relieved to know it's me."

"Does she like you too, Son?"

"I think so." He started to blush while recalling their tender kiss…

"Sam…" his dad was the one to sigh this time before going on. "You're gonna have to tell 'er sooner or later. She's got a right to know, just like you had the right to know."

"Yeah but…gah, this would be so much easier if she could have found out from that clinic like I wanted to."

"_You_ need to be the one to tell her, Sam. Your fears of her thinking your intentions are anything but genuine are more likely to happen if she hears it from someone else—even that monkey cage of a clinic."

Sam ran a hand through his hair and gave a couple of nods that his father couldn't see. "You're right. I just…I can't tell her right now. I wanna wait until she's got a little less on her plate."

"I understand. Just don't wait too long. You don't know how long this whole lawsuit thing is gonna go on for her and her family and if they get it resolved soon, she very well could get the paternity information from them."

"I'm gonna tell her before that can happen. I…she's having a party next month. I'll tell her after that. She'll have less going on then and hopefully the holidays will be a good cushion in case she freaks on me or something."

"Whatever you're going to do, just be sensitive to her. She's in a fragile state right now. You gotta keep that in mind."

"I know, Dad. Trust me, I don't wanna do anything to bring any kind of stress or harm on her. It's my kid too, and kid or no kid…I told you, I really care about Mercedes."

"Alright, Son. You try to get some rest tonight. I'm gonna have a talk with your mother—fill her in on what's going on since she's lookin' at me like I better tell her right now."

Sam smiled dryly, "Alright. Thanks for helping me out, Dad."

"Anytime, Son. And don't be a stranger. I'm sure your brother and sister wouldn't mind a visit from you this Thanksgiving."

"I'll be there. Love you."

"Love you too, Sam."

With that, Sam hung up. After slipping his hone back into the pocket of his denim pants, he filled his lungs and let out a long sigh, all the while running both hands through his thin, dark blond mane. He didn't know how he was going to break this news to Mercedes yet but he knew he had to think of something before her party.

Letting out another sigh, Sam left the side of the restaurant building, heading back to his truck. He'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts, that he hadn't seen nor heard his ex lurking directly around the corner from where he'd previously been on the phone.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter posted!  
And if any of you wants the recipe to Taco Soup, let me know! It's a favorite of mine and I'd be glad to message it to you!  
Also, here's a little 411 on Mercedes' comic book nickname. I thought about showing how that conversation played out, but decided against it for the sake of keeping the story moving along. So! I'll just explain as briefly as I can right here. So years ago, Sam earned the nickname of Captain "Cap"/Steve Rogers from Puck because of his heart-of-gold, gentlemanly personality with an "All-American" look. In return, Sam had given Puck the nick name of Tony Stark/Iron Man because of his affinity for being a witty playboy, who was also genuinely smart in the eyes of his small circle of loved ones. The two bantered on in front of Mercedes one work day on what nickname they were going to give her. In the time spent working with her, they'd already deduced that she was feisty, smart, kind, clever, talented, strong-willed, and motherly towards their antics—all of which were true. Puck added 'sexy' to this and thought the obvious choice was to nickname her Ororo because she fit the bill as the alias and the X-Men alter ego. Sam smirked and couldn't think of a reason not to go with the nickname.  
More is coming soon, as always!**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Thanks for all the reviews and feedback! Keep 'em coming! Also, I kind of realized that chronicling the time throughout the chapters would probably make things easier to follow, in terms of how far along Mercedes is and when all this stuff is happened. To give a quick re-cap, she was given the A.I. in September. She told Sam about her pregnancy in November, making her 2 months along in November. What I'll do from here on is just put the name of the month at the start of the chapters. Enjoy!**_

**December 2011**

Mercedes sat at one of the desks, moving light strokes over the paper in front of her. November came and went in the blink of an eye and her amount of free time had quickly bottlenecked. Her first trimester was nearly over and while she wasn't showing yet and still capable of fitting into her regular winter clothes, she knew she was going to have to switch to a maternity wardrobe soon. On top of that, her finals were just days away. To her fortune, things had settled down in Glee club; they had planned to jump into Regionals preparation at the return of winter break, and with her time freeing up after finals she knew she would be able to help them more and also get more work hours in with Sam and Puck. Both men were understanding to her pregnancy situation and hadn't made her feel awkward following her confession of her pregnancy to them.

She remembered the Monday following the opening night of _Chicago_ when she had told Puck at work.

"_Aw when's the baby's due date?" he asked._

"_Middle of June. My doctor said probably the 14__th__ but you know, sometimes babies don't like to come when they're supposed to."_

"_Don't I know it. Abby got a little too cozy in her mom's tummy. Drove us both crazy!"_

_Mercedes laughed. She'd been perched on Sam's lap while the three were in the office. "Well hopefully this little boy or girl won't keep me waiting. Now that I've gotten comfortable telling people close to me, I'm actually feeling excited about things."_

"_Oh yeah?" asked Sam._

_She nodded to him with a soft smile, "I'm still scared. Every day it blows my mind that this happened, but…it's really comforting to have a loving group of people around me—including you guys."_

_Sam's eyes went to Puck and Mercedes copied him, only to see Puck smirking at her. "Whatever you need, Ororo—we got your back."_

She smiled at the memory while she sat in the office alone, finishing the final touches on a rough sketch of one of the Gladiator Girls. But she looked up when she heard footsteps approaching the room. Her lips spread into a flattered grin as Puck and Sam entered the room singing 'Happy Birthday'. Puck had an acoustic guitar strapped over his shoulder and Sam was carrying a plate of cupcakes—the center one, decorated with a lit candle.

"Happy birthday dear Ororoooo…" they sang, to which she giggled. "Happy birthday to youuuuu!"

Puck rapidly strummed an obnoxious chord to bring the song to a conclusion while Sam held the plate of gourmet cupcakes in front of Mercedes. "Happy birthday, Stormy," he murmured before kissing her cheek."

She closed her eyes, made a wish and blew out the candle. When her eyes opened again she looked up at Sam and Puck and asked, "How'd you guys know?"

"We have our sources," replied Puck.

"Better known as Kurt," chuckled Sam. "Actually…he kinda threatened us to do something for you. We would've anyway, had we already known, but he told us about your birthday."

Mercedes slid the papers out of the way to avoid messing them up before she chose a confetti-flavored cupcake off the plate. Before peeling back the paper, she cast a sweet smile at them, "Thanks you guys."

"Nah, thank _you_ for having a birthday this time of year," corrected Puck. "Gave us an excuse to check out that new cupcake shop that opened up, Sweet Dreams." He grabbed a chocolate cupcake while Sam helped himself to a red velvet one.

"How come you didn't want us to knw about your birthday, Mercedes?" asked Sam, licking frosting off his finger.

She shrugged, "I've never made a big deal about my birthdays, ever since I started high school. My parents will take me to dinner and get me stuff but I don't try and make a spectacle about it anymore."

"Why?" Puck wondered in between bites of his cupcake. "You only get one birthday a year."

"I know, but…alright, my freshmen year I'd planned to have this huge party on the weekend, but my parents forgot about my birthday."

"What?"

"How?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. They're both busy people. My dad's a dentist. My mom's a real estate agent. They have crazy schedules and I guess it just slipped their mind. It sucked but I don't hold it against them; I just don't plan anything for my birthday anymore now."

Puck stared at her and Sam was frowning.

She shook her head at them, "Don't worry about it. These cupcakes are bomb and I really appreciate you guys doing this for me."

"Oh we're not done, Storm," said Puck.

Sam stood up again, "Yeah. We're ending work early today and celebrating with some movies and stuff downstairs. But wait here!"

She raised her brows, "What are you…" but before she could finish, they had disappeared from the room. Her eyes remained on the door while she took another bite of her cupcake, but she stopped chewing the moment she heard the rustling of cellophane.

"Ta-da!" said Sam.

Mercedes eyes bulged as Puck and Sam returned, carrying one large cellophane-wrapped basket, complete with a huge purple bow. One hand went to Mercedes jaw-dropped mouth as they set it down at her feet.

"You guys are insane!" she said when her hand went away. She was smiling but clearly still in shock by the gigantic basket, filled with goodies.

"Well, we had some help. It's kind of a group gift—from me, Puck, Lauren, and Quinn with lots of help from Kurt."

"But mostly, it's from Cap," said Puck.

Mercedes exchanged looked with them. Sam elbowed Puck and she giggled softly. "It looks too pretty to open."

Puck rolled his eyes, "Well you better open it. Some of that stuff has an expiration date."

Her eyes looked past the cellophane to see an assortment of items inside: favorite snacks of hers, a small white envelope with the Breadstix moniker printed on the front, a folded plum-colored shirt, and a collection bubble bath, bath salts and scented candles; a pack of pacifiers, multiple sets of baby onesies, towels, and blankets, and a set of bottles.

"Oh my God," she shook her head, completely awestruck by the content of the very full basket.

"I—well," stammered Sam. "I know it's _your_ birthday but, we all just wanted to do something nice for you, and the baby. There's some more clothes and stuff in there for you; Kurt and Quinn did the shopping for you so…if it doesn't fit I think they left a gift receipt in there."

"Kurt knows my sizes," she told him before biting on her lip. She set down what remained of her cupcake and stood to make her way around the basket. She hugged Puck first and then gave Sam a huge hug. She didn't know if it was her hormones or just her, but the overwhelming feeling of gratitude brought mist to her eyes. How she lucked out with having these amazing people in her life, she didn't know but she felt beyond blessed. Truly.

"Thank you."

Sam smiled at her and she felt his full lips press to her forehead. "You're welcome. And happy birthday, Stormy."

She smiled at him and then looked over to Puck. He was mocking their moment with clasped hands, all the pretending to look like he was about to cry. "Well aren't you two just the cutest?"

Mercedes laughed and Sam rolled his eyes at him.

"You love us," muttered Sam.

His shamelessness at saying 'us' brought a smile to Mercedes' face. This was turning out o be the best birthday she'd had in a long time.

* * *

The evening following the last day of the semester, Mercedes dressed in a purple dress with a black bolero jacket. She twisted her hair in light curls and headed off to Breadstix with plans to pick up Kurt on the way. They thought they would be the first to arrive; Mercedes had been under the impression that her parents were meeting her there later, but when they arrived, her parents along with the Hummels and the Puckermans were already there with purple, red, green and white balloons tied around all the chairs.

"Congratulations!" They all called out in unison.

She grinned and blushed, "You guys, I don't know for sure if I'm done yet."

"Oh please," argued Kurt. "You probably aced all the finals. And even if you didn't, you're still graduating, so enjoy tonight. It's the _last_ time we're going to Breadstix for a while."

"Amen to that," they heard from behind.

Mercedes and Kurt turned to see Sam standing directly behind her, dressed in a powder blue dress shirt and dark blue jeans. He smiled at Mercedes with a cubic box underarm and said, "Hey there."

All of Mercedes' face brightened and she leaned in to hug him. Sam returned ht ehug without hesitation and kissed her cheek.

"Sam my parents are here," she whispered in warning.

He pulled away but beamed a devilish grin at her, "Sorry. But I'm not."

"You're a mess," she replied with a playful swat at his chest.

Together, the three headed over to the table and sat down to enjoy the evening while celebrating Mercedes' graduation, as well as the holidays. She'd been given a gift from everyone—money and a spa day from her parents, gift cards from the Puckermans, and a couple early baby gifts. One was a car seat from Burt and Carole Hummel and the other was a teddy bear and set of screen tees and onesies with "Momma's sunshine" and such, all from Sam.

Flattered by the presents, Mercedes thanked everyone and momentarily left to put everything in her car. When she came back, they all had dessert; she and Sam split a brownie sundae, and she playfully poked some whipped cream on his nose and promptly kissed it away when her parents weren't looking.

Gradually, they all started to head home. Sam was the last to leave Mercedes again and he shared a tender kiss with her at the door.

"Congratulations again, Stormy. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yes you will," she sassed.

After watching him go, she turned back and waited for Kurt to come out of the bathroom but someone cleared their throat, gaining her attention.

* * *

"So, Mercedes…"

She turned around, confused as to who was talking to her. Her eyes locked on a skinny blond with blue-green eyes who was staring at her with an amused expression.

"That's your name, right?"

"Yeah?" Mercedes vaguely remembered her from hers and Kurt's trip to Breadstix not too long ago. Right away, she also recalled what Sam told her earlier that evening and presumed, "You're Sam's ex."

"Janelle, sweetie. And it seems he's robbing the cradle these days."

Mercedes narrowed her eyes while watching Janelle circle her.

"Hm, but from what I've heard, you're helping him put a baby back in that cradle."

Instinctively, Mercedes' hands went to her stomach but she didn't see what Sam had to do with her being pregnant. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she said, "Look I don't have time for your crazy ass." She grabbed her purse and started for the door.

"Crazy? Me?" she scoffed, "Honey, I'm not the one that's been _obsessed_ with having a baby. I'm not the one manipulating someone else into getting me what I want."

She whirled around, "Okay you don't know anything about me—"

"Not _you_! I'm talking about your little beau. Sam."

Mercedes froze; she was still lost in Janelle's implications. She didn't know why she didn't continue out the door but her feet remained rooted as Janelle went on.

"You know he and I dated for four years? Four years, sweetie. And he spent most of that time talking about having kids and wanting to be a dad. I couldn't give it to him so he broke things off—went ahead and found himself a surrogate." Her expression was apathetic through all of this but she quickly pierced her blue-green eyes on Mercedes' face. "But a procedure gone wrong led to you getting pregnant, am I right?"

"How did you…?"

"Sam's been talking about it," lied Janelle. "I_ told _you—he's obsessed."

Mercedes feet were rooted. She had no reason to recall that she had accidentally and inadvertently given that piece of information to Janelle.

Janelle stepped up to Mercedes, bearing down a vicious glare at the younger woman. "Why do you think he's staying so close to you? Why do you think he's been buying you baby stuff, hm? What_ guy_ do you know does that for some girl if it's not his baby? Did you really think he's been doing all these nice things for you because he's a nice guy?"

"H-he is," Mercedes feebly protested. But even she knew that didn't sound the least bit convincing.

Janelle mocked her with a laugh and said, "Please, Honey. Don't be dumb. He had his sperm frozen years ago. He'd found a surrogate. Obviously it didn't work. Do you honestly think he would really be okay and _helpful_ with you and your baby if it wasn't his?" She was nearly nose-to-nose with Mercedes. "Can you seriously tell me you haven't been a little weirded out by him getting so close to you? Buying things for you and your baby?" She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes, "And what do you think's going to happen once the baby's born? Do you think he's going to care about you anymore? Do you think he's going keep this up?" She completely ignored Mercedes watering eyes and finished by telling her, "You're disposable, sweetie. Just look at what he did to me. If you don't believe me…" Janelle shrugged, "Ask him yourself. I'm sure he's told you I'm nuts. But I'm just the one would couldn't give him what he wanted."

Mercedes felt sick—far different from any type of morning sickness. She wanted badly to not believe anything Janelle had said to her; she wished she could have moved her feet just a few steps to get her out before Janelle could've filled her head with doubts, anger and hurt. In her mind, she was trying to refute everything Sam's ex had told her but she couldn't. The more she tried, the more upset she'd grown. Through blurred vision, she pushed the glass doors open and made her way to her car, but she knew it was too dangerous for her to drive right now.

"Mercedes?"

She looked up and although she couldn't see clearly, she could make out Kurt's svelte form as he rushed over to her. She hiccupped a sob and lowered her ashamed face.

"Mercedes, what's wrong?" he asked, panicked.

Uninterested in explaining right now, she just shook her head and sobbed, "P-please…just…t-take me h-home."

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! Sorry if there were any spelling/grammar errors! More is coming, of course! Unfortunately the repercussions of Janelle's actions are far from over.**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Apologies for all the spelling/grammar errors in the previous fic. I was typing it up until literally the last moment before I had to jet off to work, and I didn't make time to go back and spell check or anything. Anyways…enjoy this next chapter!**_

**December 2011**

"Okay seriously, Sam? Who taught you how to wrap a present?"

Sam blushed as he stared down at the gift box between his legs. Puck, Lauren and Abby were over; he and Puck got in a little bit of work done but took a break for lunch and a little Christmas present wrapping. Lauren was standing over Sam with Abby on her hip, wondering what sort of contraption Sam had turned Mercedes' Christmas gift into.

"No one taught me," he admitted, pursing his lips at the present. "Does it really look that bad?"

"Well…" hesitated Puck.

"Yeah," answered Lauren. She shifted Abby and held her out to Puck, "Here, hold Abby for a sec while I fix this."

Puck held their sleeping daughter in his lap while Lauren bent over and swiped the present from Sam. He watched her tear off the gift wrap, snatch up the roll scissors and start over. "Thanks, Lauren," he muttered, still embarrassed.

"Yeah, yeah. It's a good thing you had the department store do it for you with her present last night."

Puck chimed in and asked, "What'd you get her this time?"

Sam shrugged in an attempt to seem nonchalant and told him, "Just a necklace. I noticed she wears them a lot so I figured she might like it."

What he left out in talking to his friends was that he'd spent a solid twenty minutes staring at necklaces in Macy's. There were so many he thought she'd like but the one he settled on—the one he felt she would love the most was a sterling silver necklace with tiny, alternating pearls and heart pendants. Each little heart allowed for a charm to be linked to it.

"So what's up with you two? You're acting more and more like a couple. Are you two official now or what?"

Sam looked to Puck and briefly wondered the same thing. He and Mercedes acted very much like a couple at work; sitting on each other's laps, poking one another's cheeks, treating one another to little snacks or flowers and sometimes sharing lunch. After work ended, sometimes Mercedes would stay a little longer to get a little homework done, or she and Sam would take a little walk to the park nearby. One time, he talked her into sitting on one of the swings and he gently pushed her while trying out one of his impressions on her.

"'_Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down at us from the stars.'"_

_She laughed while asking him, "Boy, there aren't any stars out right now. Are you making fun of my dad? I know he's got a deep voice and all but—"_

"_No! N-no, no, no, no," he laughed, "That was James Earl Jones."_

"_James Earl Jones?"_

_Right away, he grabbed the swing chains to stop and looked down at her. "You don't know who James Earl Jones is?" When Mercedes stared blankly at him, he went on to list, "Star Wars? Lion King? Coming to America?"_

"_So what was that quote from?"_

"_The Lion King! Mercedes, you not knowing James Earl Jones made me die a little inside. Thanks a lot."_

_She laughed, triggering a smile on his face, "Well I guess we'll have to watch The Lion King again and refresh my memory, huh?"_

"Hellooo? Earth-to-Sam?"

He snapped out of his memory, becoming attentive to Puck's snapping fingers waving in front of his face. "Sorry, um…we haven't really made anything official. But…I'm usually pretty old fashioned about dating and I can tell she is too."

"How?"

"Well, she's not big on PDA in front of her parents. I can respect that. And I don't wanna just decide for us that we're dating. I want to ask her first if that's what she wants. It's kind of why I got the necklace."

"Y'know…" Lauren interjected again, "I may not be bffs with Mercedes—we hung out a little bit and I did the glee thing one year with her—but one thing I can tell you is she's definitely not Janelle."

At the sound of his ex's name, he internally snarled. He had seen her for a moment the previous night while they were celebrating with Mercedes.

"_You really don't like Breadstix, do you?" she'd asked him._

_Only then had he realized he was grimacing but he shook his head and offered her a faint smile, "It's not the restaurant. Just…my ex works here as a line chef. Things didn't really end on good terms with her."_

"_Was that on her or you?"_

_He was a little taken aback by her bold inquiry, but he quickly answered, "Her. She's insane. We kept fighting, and…it just wasn't working."_

"_Yikes. Well, remind me of her insane self the next time I suggest we come here."_

_He smirked at her and said, "Don't worry—I will."_

Returning to the present, he told Lauren, "Yeah, I know she's not. Trust me."

"So then don't feel like you need to constantly _buy_ her stuff. Mercedes seems like a genuine girl who likes genuine things. I can tell she's already falling for you, so don't try so hard to impress her with clothes and jewelry all the time."

"She's right, Cap." Sam looked over as Puck said, "Dig back to your dating ways, pre-Linda Blair."

Lauren snickered and Sam smirked. He hadn't realized that he'd been so…changed by Janelle but his friends were right. Buying gifts all the time was not his way of impressing someone he wanted to be with. It wasn't really who he was; he'd been more fond of making gifts to give, and thinking a little more out of the box to show his affection whenever possible.

"Hey, you guys wouldn't mind if I tried getting a start on that today, would you? I think I know how I can show Mercedes me—the 'I'm a pretty simple guy who just wants you to know I care about you'-me."

"Oh yeah?" asked Puck, "What's your plan?"

"He pointed to the fireplace and said, "Popcorn, hot cocoa with a fire and just us talking and enjoying each other's company. She and I can figure out what we are, and maybe I'll play us a little Christmas music."

"Hmm…romantic," noted Lauren with a casual tone. "We'll be outta your hair soon, Sam. This will give Puck and I a chance to get on the road with Abby before the traffic to Chicago gets nuts. And here." She held out the long, narrow neatly re-wrapped necklace box.

Sam accepted it back and nodded, "Thanks," before sticking it underneath his sad-looking tree. All the presents bagged under his three-foot Charlie Brown tree were gifts for his friends, as well as several he'd be taking with him when he went to Kentucky for Christmas.

"When are you gonna tell her?" asked Lauren. "You know, about you being the baby's dad and all."

Sam watched her prop what remained of the gift wrap near his tree while he told her and Puck, "I was thinking once I got back from Kentucky, so…next week, just after Christmas."

"In person, right?"

"Yeah. I don't think this is the kind of bombshell you should drop over the phone. Plus the whole point of me waiting in the first place was not to freak or stress her out more."

"Well," spoke Puck, "That and you were worried she was gonna think you had some crack-headed addiction to being a dad, or something. Right?"

"That too," added Sam. He knew his desire for kids at such a young age was unusual, but it was also unusual to go through the events he had gone through at his age. But no matter his reason for wanting a family at the present, he had been as genuine with Mercedes as he possibly could be, ever since he first met her in the park.

As Lauren got Abby's things together, Puck stood up and made to say 'goodbye' to his best friend. "Enjoy your Christmas, Cap. Abby, Lauren and I should be back from Chi-Town before New Year's Eve. "

He and Sam exchanged a one-armed hug and Sam pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Abby's wisps of dark brown hair. "Have fun, Abbster."

"Oh and put your Hanukkah gift to use," ordered Puck while walking to the front door. He followed Lauren out and Sam escorted them from behind.

"Will do," he said with a smirk and then closed the door. On his way to picking up his cell phone off the couch, he grabbed the book from the coffee table; _Be Prepared: A Handbook for New Dads_, gifted to him from Puck. He took it with him upstairs to put in his bedroom and add to the other baby books he owned, all the while listening to the dial tones and waiting for Mercedes to answer.

* * *

"You need to talk to him, Mercedes."

"I don't know if I can," she replied in a near inaudible tone. "Not yet." She was lying curled up in her bed, feeling bogged down from the restless night with hardly any sleep. Her phone was resting on one side of her face while her hand kept rubbing her stomach in a soothing manner. "What if she really is right?"

Kurt sighed, "Mercedes, I know all that stuff his ex told you sounds…kind of plausible but you've got to hear it from _him_. At least give him a chance to explain and then decide for yourself."

"But what if he lies to me, Kurt? If she's right, then he's been lying to me all this time; God knows how long _he's _known…" She froze and then quickly sat up. Realizing yet another thing, she sighed, letting her head fall into her hand.

"What?"

"Kurt I'm such an idiot," she whimpered—her eyes filling with tears again. "I've been working with him almost every day. How did I not see? And after I told him…she's right. After I told him about the baby, he started buying all this baby stuff and he'd always ask me 'how's the baby?'" she made a sad attempt to mock his voice at that question. "And if he'd known before I told him then of course he wouldn't say anything until_ I_ said something."

As she groaned into the microphone end, she heard Kurt say, "Okay you're not an idiot. And I still say you need to talk to him. Why are you gonna let his ex ruin everything for you when you haven't even given him a chance to explain?"

"Because what she said all made sense." She sniffled and went on to say, "It made sense for why we ran into him at the clinic; it makes sense why he's so interested in my baby, and why he's been so nice to me—offering me a job and buying me things."

"Alright I'm still gonna play Sam's advocate since you seem bent on believing his ex. Maybe she's right about him being at the clinic for a surrogate. So what? He wants kids, and remember he had cancer so maybe he's livin' la carpe diem life or something. And you've seen him with Puck's little girl, right?"

"Yeah?"

"So that shows he's at least _good_ with kids. Then there's his interest in the baby. If the baby _is_ his, then why _wouldn't_ he be interested and why wouldn't he want to make sure you're both well taken care of? You'd be the mother of his child."

"It's my child too," Mercedes vehemently declared.

"I know, Mercedes," Kurt replied calmly. "I'm just saying, from his point of view…this baby has two parents and yes you're one of them but Sam could be the other. And what if he hasn't known all along that you were the one who got injected with his swimmers, hm? He could just be trying to make up for all the time he _hasn't_ been around to help you."

Mercedes sighed, running her hand through her hair, "Why can't you be on my side, Kurt?"

"You know, because you're pregnant right now, I'm going to forgive your momentarily lapse into sounding like Rachel Berry and just remind you that I _am_ on your side. I'm trying to help you figure this out without having tunnel vision. Look, the worst that could happen is that yeah—Sam turns out to be a selfish, manipulative dick with a fetish for fathering a child. But what if he's not, Mercedes? What if he really didn't know before? And what if he just wants to take care of you and your baby as best he can?"

"It still doesn't explain why he wouldn't have come out and told me when I told him I was pregnant last month. He's known for almost a month, at least about this baby. Why wouldn't he say something to me? Even if he wasn't sure he was the father but at least thought it might be him?"

"I don't know. But that's all the more why I keep saying you need to talk to him."

Before she could reply, her phone beeped one long tone, grabbing her attention for the moment. "Speak of the devil," she mumbled while glancing at the caller ID.

"_Talk to him_," insisted Kurt. And without giving her a chance to respond, her call with Kurt dropped.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! Posting the next chapter VERY soon. Also if anyone's curious about a Charlie Brown tree…just Google "Charlie Brown tree" to get a visual of what Sam's tree looks like. If I remember to, I'll explain my little bit of foreshadowing about his tree, for those who may not catch it by the end of this chapter.  
Also, I'm not sure if I PM'd everyone who wanted the Taco Soup recipe but if you asked me for it and I haven't sent it to you yet, PM me again and I'll get it sent to you!**_


	14. Chapter 14

**December 2011**

She tried her best to hold on to Kurt's reasoning the entire way to Sam's, but her own reasoning as to why Janelle's words were sensible—albeit coming from his ex—continued to cloud her judgment. In her mind, Mercedes tried to repeatedly push her doubts away; she wanted to believe that Sam didn't know he was the father of _her_ baby but the pieces to the puzzle fit too well for that not to be true. His appearance at the clinic, coupled with his cavalier response to her pregnancy news made it crystal clear that he was the father and he knew it already. She didn't want to believe that he was some baby-obsessed guy, but ever since she had told him about her fertile state, he had morphed into a different person—before, she was too enamored by her feelings for him to see the truth and reason behind his kindness. It wasn't about her. It was never about her. She was a means to his true desire—the baby. _Her_ baby.

Her lips pursed together angrily but she took a deep breath and focused hard on calming herself down as she got out of the car and made her way up the walk to Sam's front door. After ringing the doorbell, she took another deep breath; his footsteps neared on the other side, followed by the shift in the lock. Finally he opened the door, revealing himself with a smile on his face. She swallowed hard behind pursed lips. It would be much easier for her to have this talk with him if she wasn't so attracted to him. His lop-sided smile, the way his dark blonde bangs sometimes fell in his face; his incessant wardrobe of jeans and fitted shirts that molded to his strong chest and broad shoulders…

"Hi there, Stormy," he greeted her, leaning his face out the door to peck her cheek. When he leaned back again, he stepped aside to invite her in. "Tony got an early start on his Chicago trip with Abby and Lauren, so it's just us today, but I figured we'll get some work done later. I've got some snacks and a fire going."

"Before I come in, Sam…I need to know something."

She watched Sam's brows twitch up and then back down in confusion, "Um…sure."

Unsure how to broach the subject furtively, she went for her usual barefaced approach, but strained her calm to ask, "You know…you know you're the father, don't you?"

In no time at all, the confusion slipped away from Sam's face only to be replaced by him tucking in his lips and licking them nervously while he looked away from her.

"It's a yes or no question, Sam," she spoke curtly. Already, her voice was hardening, as was her face.

"Yes," he whispered.

_Strike one_.

Mercedes gnashed her teeth together and stared stiffly at his face while he rushed to explain.

"But, Mercedes I was going to tell you, I swear! I—"

"When were you gonna tell me, huh Sam?" the volume of her voice escalated notably. "Were you gonna tell me today? What about three months from now? Or were you gonna just wait until the baby was born and drop that bomb on me?"

"No! No, I wouldn't do that!"

She threw her hands up, "Why wouldn't you tell me before then? When you _knew_, why would you keep that away from me?"

"Because I didn't wanna freak you out!" he half-shouted back, causing her to grind her teeth again. "You'd already been stressing and we were getting close and—"

"You didn't wanna freak me out? I was already stressing?" she mocked with a raised palm in the universal "Stop" gesture. "Do you even _know_ how much I'd been stressing trying to know who this baby's parents were supposed to be? Do you even have a little bit of an idea?" Her face was rigid and fierce as she glared up at him and answered her own questions, "I think about it _every damn_ _day_, Sam! I'd feel bad for them some days and then you know what? I wouldn't feel an ant-sized amount of sympathy for them because if they really cared about this baby, they would have been trying to find out what happened to it!"

Sam's jaw slackened, and then she saw his own face harden, "So you're saying I never cared? That I just shrugged and went 'Oh well! Guess I'll go on with my life and whistle a happy tune'? Mercedes, I've_ been _trying to find out but that joke of a clinic wouldn't tell me anything! Don't act like I'm some careless asshole."

She was taken aback by his final statement but quickly recovered and mustered up a sarcastic tone for her response. "Oh, okay sure. I can do that. Careless is the wrong end of the spectrum for you, isn't it?"

"What?"

"You're 23! How long have you wanted a baby, Sam?"

"For a while but what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?"

_Strike two_.

Mercedes shook her head knowingly and smiled a humorless smile. "For a while," she mocked. "Yep, careless isn't the right word at all. _Obsessed_ is more familiar for you, huh? That's why you gave me the job, isn't it? That's why you've been coming onto me. That's why you've been buying stuff for the baby and always wondering about the baby and why you were so understanding about the baby, despite the obvious fact that I liked you!"

Had she not already been blinded with fury, she might have noticed Sam's reddening face at her accusations but all she could see was him looking more and more guilty as horror washed over his face.

_Strike three_.

"Th—that's what you think?"

"It's what I know!" she snapped. By now, all her anger and yelling was beginning to overwhelm her; she could feel her chest tightening up, gearing for another onslaught of heavy sobbing but she steeled herself as best she could.

"None of that's true, Mercedes! I mean—of course I care about the baby but I care about you too!"

"Yeah, right," she spat.

"_I do_!" he retorted angrily. "Look!"

While she stood on his doorstep, she watched Sam disappear, only to return a few seconds later and thrust a small narrow box towards her chest. But she was losing the battle against her oncoming tears and gruffly pushed the box away. "I don't want it," she told him through clenched teeth. Her chest was rising and falling in rapid and shallow breaths, "I don't want anything from you anymore, Sam except for you to _stay_ _away from me_."

She ignored the stunned look on Sam's face and went on to say, "Consider this my resignation 'cause I'm done—I'm so done, I can't even look at you anymore." Her words couldn't have been truer, consider that her eyes were pooling with tears. "Don't contact me anymore—_don't_! Touch me," she warned at his extending hand.

"But…the baby," Sam wondered in a near inaudible tone.

"Will be fine. It'll have more than enough people in its life to love and help me care for it."

She saw the pain strike his face; it constricted her chest even tighter but she turned to leave before the expression could trigger her breaking down on his doorstep.

"You can't do this, Mercedes," he muttered monotonously.

Two steps away, she stopped.

"You can't keep me from my baby—that's my baby too!" he added loudly.

Her head turned at his outraged tone. At this point, she didn't know what to think of him but nothing good came to the forefront of her mind. "You really need help, Sam. I didn't wanna believe you were so pressed about this baby, but…you really, _really_ need help."

"I'm not crazy, Mercedes! Damnit all, I had cancer! I want a family! And you're not keeping me away from my child!"

"_Watch me_!" she thundered, swallowing back a sob. "You think you're entitled to this baby because it's got your DNA? Newsflash—that _doesn't_ make you a father! And neither does tricking me into thinking otherwise, or that you even give a damn about me!" Her tears spilled over but she quickly wiped them away and she dropped the tone of her voice. "I hate you, Sam Evans and I _swear _if you come near me or my baby, I'll disappear."

Stunning him again, she took advantage of his silence to make her way to her car and shut the door. She resisted the urge to look at him again and focused more on keeping her eyes dry so she could get home safely. Some of the questions she wanted answers to never made it out of her mouth. Her mind was too filled with hurt, anger and a poisonous amount of hatred; it was taking everything in her not to burst into tears and a few times on her drive home, she had to pull over to collect herself again. As soon as she reached the driveway of her parents' home, she cut the engine, lowered her head and let her sobs flow freely.

* * *

It took several seconds for Sam to uproot his feet from the front door. He stood exactly where Mercedes had left him—his feet might as well have been stapled to the hardwood floor. As her car drove away, his large hands balled up into fists and he threw one solid punch into the frame of his door, causing the wood to creak sharply. After slamming the front door, he strode back to the couch and sat down, pushing his fingers through his hair. He couldn't believe what all had transpired in what felt like no time at all. The last time he'd felt this conflicted was three months ago…

He shook his head and rubbed his temples an attempt to expel thoughts of Janelle, or even _comparing_ Mercedes to Janelle. He already knew the two were like night and day, but never in his wildest dreams did he expect the explosion of a discussion between him and Mercedes. His mind couldn't and wouldn't settle on the various accusations she threw at him however; it was too busy flashing "CUSTODY BATTLE" like a billboard behind his eyes. And the last thing Sam thought he would be in with Mercedes was a possible custody battle. Contrary to her beliefs, he did care for and about her too. In private he had even been wondering if he loved her…

With impeccable timing, his phone began to buzz inside his jean pocket. He shoved his hand inside and pulled it out, checking the caller ID.

"Hello," he answered dully.

"Hi, sweetheart," spoke Mrs. Evans. "I was just calling to see what time you were leaving tomorrow."

His trip to Kentucky seemed like the furthest thing from his mind at the moment, he took a moment to try and gather those thoughts before answering. "Um…I dunno, Mom."

"Oh…is everything okay, Samuel?"

"No. And I don't wanna be rude, but I really can't talk about this right now."

"Samuel, you know that's just going to make me worry about you more. What's happened, sweetheart?"

"Are you talking about when Mercedes called me crazy and accused me of things that weren't true, or the part where she threatened a custody suit?"

"_What_? Samuel what happened?"

Letting another sigh pass through his lips, Sam rewound to the start of his conversation with Mercedes, giving his mom the Spark Notes version of the conversation—which in reality hadn't been much shorter than the actual conversation. By the time he finished, he felt his

Mrs. Evans also sighed, "Samuel I know you probably don't want to hear this right now, but a lot of this could have been avoided if you had just told her sooner."

"I know," he strained to not snap at his mother. "I don't even know how she found out. I know Puck wouldn't have told her, and that clinic's still being tight-lipped about everything."

"Well, sweetheart, you said that she's a smart girl. You said you two ran into each other at the clinic when the accident happened, right? And every time I've spoken with you, you've told me about something you've done or given her that related to the baby. Maybe she put the pieces together and figured it out herself."

Sam pursed his lips together for a moment and when they parted again, he muttered, "Yeah."

In that one word response, Mrs. Evans could tell that her son had been exhausted of this discussion. "Keep calm, Samuel. When you get here tomorrow, you, your father and I can sit down and try to help you figure out what you can do to protect your rights to yours and Mercedes' baby."

He clenched his jaw, letting himself breathe a few more deep breaths through his nose for a moment. Finally, he said, "Okay." After he and his mother exchanged "I love you"s and farewells, Sam hung up the phone and lowered his head into his hands. What once looked to be one of the better Christmases in his memory, ended up being dropped down with the worst of them. It still wasn't a desire for him to take Mercedes to court—and the velocity at which that thought entered his mind was enough to give him his throbbing headache—but he was not going to lose his child over her warped version of the truth.

Beside him sat Mercedes' Christmas present. He picked it up and carried it with him upstairs to put in the spare room—the room that would have been or would become a nursery.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! And if you're infuriated by Mercedes' confrontation with Sam, well…just keep on reading. And just as Kurt played Sam's advocate in the previous chapter, I'll play Mercedes' advocate for a moment: keep in mind that she's pregnant—she's young, hormonal, stressed, afraid and very vulnerable right now, all of which has led to her feeling hurt, betrayed, angry and now desiring distance from Sam.**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Sorry to anyone who might have been looking forward to seeing a moment at the Evans' house over Christmas. I promise to work in some moments with Sam's family later on in the fic. Oh! And for those wondering if Janelle's spite and insanity knows no bounds? The answer is: not really. As one reviewer pointed out, she's 50 shades of cray. And I'm laughing at all the various nicknames/comments for and about her. Anyway, enjoy this next chapter! There's a moment in this chapter that I REALLY wanted to have happen. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what it is once you read it. Let me know if you've figured it out by the end. Anyway, enjoy!  
**_**  
December 2011/January 2012**

The doorbell to the Jones residence rang several times New Years Eve night. Mercedes' brother, Trent was in town for the holidays and in addition to Mercedes' friends, Santana and Brittany, who had come to town from the University of Louisville. Kurt and his parents were the last to arrive for the small New Year's Eve get-together. Mrs. Jones let them in, wishing them a "Happy New Year" while relieving Carole of the veggie platter in her hands.

Burt gave her a hug, "Happy New Year, Tamara. Is Reggie here?"

"Yes, he and Trent are in the living room watching T.V. And Kurt, The girls are all up in Mercedes' room," explained Mrs. Jones.

"Thanks Mrs. Jones!" he replied, slipping past the elder adults and making a beeline for the stairs.

Upstairs, Mercedes was sitting on her bed, filling her old friends in on what was going on with her lately. She told them about her pregnancy and had just finished telling them about her fight with Sam, the week before Christmas.

"I'm fine with it. I don't want to have to but I will if I it comes to it. I mean…you guys know me—I've never said I've needed a man in my life, but…I don't know if that's fair to project on my baby too."

"You know Lord Tubbington wanted to join a convent once? I wanted to get him a friend but he doesn't think he needs someone either. He'd rather wear a habit and chant Latin."

Mercedes eyed Brittany for her off remark but she soon dismissed it with a faint smile while Santana said, "Listen, I know you're cool going all Independent Woman but it's definitely different when you're comparing a relationship with your boyfriend to a relationship between your baby and its dad. I mean are you really gonna go through a custody fight and stuff, just because this guy was taking care of you and your kid?"

_Knock, knock, knock_.

The three girls looked up and saw Kurt standing in the door way. Brittany stood up and moved over to hug him. He returned the hug with a smile but his eyes looked over Brittany's shoulder at Mercedes, "Talking about Sam?"

"Yeah," she admitted with a grimace. "I was just filling Santana and Brittany in." She scooted over on her bed, inviting him over to sit.

He crossed the room and perched himself near her, shrugging out of his winter coat. "So, what do you think—about what Santana asked, I mean. Happy New Year by the way, Satan."

Santana smirked, "Likewise, Richard Simmons."

"I want a nickname," lamented Brittany.

"I give you nicknames, Britts," said Santana.

"But you don't call me them in front of anyone."

Mercedes and Kurt's brows rose and Santana blushed with a shameless smile.

"Okay, anyway—look, I know he was doing stuff for me and the baby but it all feels like it wasn't for the right reasons."

"What's the right reason, Mercedes?" asked Kurt. "I keep trying to understand that from you but I'm still getting no answer. As far as I'm concerned there's only one right reason and it's what he already knows—that baby's just as much his as it is yours and he's trying to help take care of it."

Mercedes clenched her teeth but said nothing while Kurt went on.

"You've been mad for weeks now. And I get it—he kept the truth from you but you still don't really know how long he's known. I love you but I still don't think you've been fair to him about all this. You went in with pre-conceived notions, fed to you by his _ex_ who, for all we know could be crazy like he told you in the first place."

Kurt had been known to lay blunt honesty on her, but never had he made her feel so small. For the past few weeks he'd been trying to give her gentle nudges towards forgiving Sam and making things right, but Mercedes always pushed back with defiance. This time, he had enough of the gentle nudges; he was pushing back.

"I hate to say it, Jones," interjected Santana, "but Kurt's right."

Mercedes jaw slackened. She had hoped someone would feel the way she did, but so far, everyone had been hinting for her to give Sam a more rational opportunity to explain himself. Even her own mom had said it but Mercedes figured her mom had become too enamored with Sam to give her a fair take on the situation.

"This Sam guy sounds like an okay guy. And not to get all preachy on you, but you're young, 'Cedes. He's kinda young too but he's old enough to own his stuff. I think that's what he's trying to do here with you and this kid. Plus…manipulating you so he can run off with your kid later? Sounds a little too _General Hospital_ if you ask me."

"_Thank you_!" praised Kurt.

Santana shrugged, "I just don't think a guy would get that creative just to have a kid, especially when he could just go have someone birth him another one. I mean his baby gravy's still stashed away somewhere, right?"

"Just trust your gut, Mercedes," added Brittany.

Mercedes exchanged glances with each one of her friends. They talked a little more about her dilemma surrounding Sam and the more they tried to give her a clearer head, the smaller she continued to feel. Her mind went back to the last time she had seen Sam and she felt awful. It wasn't the first time she'd felt guilty for blowing up at him the way she did; some days she wished she could have stayed calmer. Other days she felt like she had nothing to regret. And sometimes she was upset, simply for not being able to shake the thoughts from her mind altogether.

"Kurt! Girls, the countdown's getting ready to start soon!" called Mrs. Jones from downstairs.

"Coming!" Mercedes called back. She let out a soft sigh and slowly rose from the bed. "I…I'll think about it."

"Hold up," Santana held up her hand. She cast an accusatory gaze at Mercedes while folding her arms, "You love him!"

Kurt and Brittany both looked to Mercedes as well. Her face was getting hot, fast. She'd always been terrible about hiding her reactions and it was even worse with her being pregnant; her hormones weren't cooperating as well as they might normally so when she was mad, it was evident; when she was sad, there was almost a guarantee that tears were going to follow.

"Of course she does," answered Kurt, also standing up.

"Y'all are insane," said Mercedes. "Come on or we're going to miss the countdown."

Brittany followed her out of the room but Kurt and Santana stared at one another; contemplation was growing on their faces. Santana looked around the room until her eyes fell on Mercedes' abandoned Droid, sitting near the pillows. She walked on her knees across the queen-sized bed and snatched it up.

"Here, let me see. And while you and Brittany are in town, you two are gonna have to keep helping me talk some sense into her. I love her to death but I really think she's gonna mess up a good thing if she doesn't talk to that man soon."

"Don't worry, Prancy Smurf. This little impromptu round table intervention was good and all but…calling her out on her feelings like that was just the tip of the iceberg. That wall she's got up is gonna go down faster than Titanic by the time we're done. Plus we really need to remind her that this kid she's got deserves its pops."

She handed it over and resumed folding her arms while Kurt held his phone beside hers, moving his thumbs across his iPhone screen.

"I know. Mercedes can say what she wants but...I've seen firsthand how hard it is to be a single parent, and I don't think it's a situation she should deliberately put herself or her baby in. But fret not, Santana. I have a plan."

* * *

Sam sat at the Britannia Arms pub with Finn and Quinn for New Years Eve. He pushed his black thermal shirt sleeves up to the bend of his arms and ordered himself a Newcastle. He wasn't particularly in the mood for socializing but given the turn of events over the past few weeks, a night out for the holiday was something he decided not to turn down. On top of that, his guilt started to riddle him from the multiple times Quinn and Finn had invited him out.

"How was Christmas with your family?" asked Quinn.

"Fine," replied Sam with a nod. "My mom and dad say thanks for the picture frame by the way."

Little to his knowledge, Finn and Quinn had made an agreement not to bring up Mercedes, the baby or his quest for legal advice on custody. The bartender handed him a tall glass of the brown ale and Sam exchanged it for a ten dollar bill. As he took a long sip, his eyes went up to the T.V. to watch Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest babble on about what a great ball drop it was going to be this year.

"Uh, Sam?" spoke Finn.

Sam looked over to his brunette friend, only to see him pointing past him. Sam's brows furrowed as he turned on his barstool. At the other end of the bar was his ex girlfriend, Janelle, wiggling her fingers in a wave and bearing a Cheshire Cat grin at them.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," he heard Quinn bitter say from Finn's other side.

Sam clenched his jaw and swiveled back around. "I don't care."

"Maybe you should," replied Finn, "'cause she's comin' over here."

"Well I'm not leaving. I'm not letting her chase me out of every public place, just because she's got certifiably insane."

Finn shook his head slowly, "It's kinda like that movie,_ Obsessed_. Remember that one with Beyoncé? And that blonde chick who kept going after her husband?"

"That's really not making me feel any better," said Sam. "You remember how that movie ended, right?"

Finn lowered his gaze to the bar with a hard-pressed look of concentration, like he was truly trying to remember the fact that the demented stalker, portrayed by Ali Larter, snuck into the couple's home and died in her final attempt to separate the married couple for good.

"Can't go anywhere anymore without running into her," Quinn muttered loudly obviously not caring that she was now overheard by Janelle.

"It's New Years Eve, Stepford Barbie," retorted Janelle. "And in case you hadn't noticed, everyone legal in Lima is here tonight. Which reminds me," her gaze shifted, "how are things with you and your Pampers sponsor, Sammy?"

"How did you..?" He narrowed his eyes slightly, and then turned away from her and spat, "Just go away, Janelle."

"Aww did she come to her senses and leave you too?"

"Hey Linda Blair," chimed in Quinn while faking some ignorance, "Didn't _you_ come crawling back to Sam?"

"Oh go bake some cookies, Martha Stewart," snarled Janelle, bringing her glass of Guinness to her lips.

"Wait, wait…I think I've heard this one before…" retorted a sarcastic Quinn, earning her the middle finger from the other blonde woman.

She promptly and deliberately turned her back to Quinn, facing only Sam as she said, "Too bad you can't come here with her, huh? What is she—16?"

Her hand came down on Sam shoulder and he shook it roughly away. "What the hell do you want?"

"Nothing," she nonchalantly replied with a shrug. "I saw you looking down in the dumps and thought I'd see if Karma ripped your ass to pieces yet. Looks like it has." Her hand patted his shoulder in a patronizing manner while she leaned in and whispered, "Happy New Year, Sammy. OH! And good luck with your new little family. I'm sure your baby mama will be just fine without you."

She started to walk away, but she didn't get very far. A jolt of realization electrified Sam, making his eyes widen and then relax as he whipped his head in her direction. He stood from his stool and sternly asked, "How did you know the baby's mine, Janelle?"

Sam watched her stopped in her tracks. His expression was hardening in a matter of seconds; as she started to turn around, he gripped his hand around his drink glass a little tighter. But before he could get an answer from her, she abandoned her drink at the bar and hurried away. Sam sprang away from the bars and quickly followed after her with long strides. For once, he was thankful her obnoxious heels were slowing her pace down. As soon as they both got outside, he grabbed her wrist, triggering an immediate physical protest from his ex.

"How did you know?" he demanded.

"Let go—I didn't!"

"You're lying—I _heard_ you say she's my baby mama! Tell me how you knew, Janelle!"

"You get your fucking hands off me, Sam," she snarled, "or so help me I'll cause a scene and someone will call the police on your dumb ass."

"Let her go, Sam," he heard Quinn from behind him. Sam reluctantly turned his vehement gaze away from Janelle to look. Quinn and Finn were flanking him at the pub's open doors, but Quinn wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were burning on Janelle's face.

Sam let go of his ex's wrist and before he could blink, Quinn advanced and pushed Janelle hard up against the brick edifice of the pub. Janelle tried pushing her away but apparently Quinn was stronger than she looked.

"What the hell did you do, Janelle?" demanded Quinn in a dark, even tone.

"None of your business—get off me, bitch!"

"Say what you want about me. You're not leaving until you tell Sam what he wants to know." Her head jerked in Sam's direction and added, "_He _might not be able to lay a hand on you but don't think I won't."

Janelle glared at Quinn and Sam looked warily at Finn. Finn raised his hands as if in surrender with a look that said, "Don't look at me, dude."

Janelle tried shoving Quinn away again but Quinn's hand swiped across her face like a viper striking its prey. Sam and Finn's eyes widened. "Quinn!" Sam balked. Undeniably, he had a few moments where he wished that could have been him but he would never lay a hand on a woman. It was still jarring for him to see his friend and neighbor backhand his ex; he knew Quinn had some fire in her but it was rarely ever seen.

"Go ahead, Sam," spoke Quinn, "Ask her what you want."

Sam collected himself again and brought his green hues on Janelle, "I wanna know how you knew about me being the father of the baby."

His, along with Finn and Quinn's eyes bore into Janelle's face, waiting impatiently for an answer. It appeared at first that she wasn't going to answer but she finally confessed, "I figured it out."

Sam narrowed his eyes, confused, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Janelle chuckled once, heartily but spoke viciously, "It_ means_ you and your baby mama shouldn't air your dirty laundry at my job! I heard you…_both_ of you talking about it. First I heard her, sitting there talking about it…then you were crying to your dad about it around Thanksgiving and I put the pieces together." "

Her tone and words made Sam feel like he had been delivered his own slap across the face. "Then you…you're the one who twisted my words and told Mercedes all that crap!"

"No shit, Sherlock," replied Janelle in an overly-sweet voice, coupled with a few slow claps.

"Quinn, move," demanded Sam.

She gave one wary glance in Sam's direction; he was certain she was seeing the hot white fury on his face and thought better than to argue. If he were a bull, Janelle would be every shade of red known to man.

"Don't hit her Sam," Quinn quietly warned as she stepped back from Janelle.

Sam wasted no time taking Quinn's spot. His chest was rising and falling with his short, rapid breaths. He raised one fist while gritting his teeth and thrust it hard, near Janelle's face. He watched her squeeze her eyes shut in terror but no contact was ever made between him and her. Instead, he'd thrown his weight into punching the solid brick directly beside her head. His anger had his adrenaline circuiting his veins to the point that he was able to ignore the mounting pain in his knuckles—which was possible broken or badly sprained now.

His good hand came up with one long index finger pointed in Janelle's face. "I'm only gonna say this once," growled Sam. It wasn't in his nature to yell at anyone, but saying that she asked for it was an understatement. All his hurt, confusion and sadness was wound up in one hard, tense ball that he now threw directly in Janelle's face as he yelled, "You _stay away_ from her! Stay away from me and stay _the hell_ away from my kid!"

He could see the genuine terror in Janelle's face as he shouted just inches from her face. His injured hand lowered from the brick wall and he backed away from her, laughing breathy, humorless chuckles while shaking his head. His tone suddenly dropped as he told her, "You're pathetic."

Finn put a hand on Sam's shoulder and gripped it to pull him away, "Come on, dude. Someone's gonna see us and get the wrong idea."

In truth, their tableau looked like the three of them were cornering and abusing a hooker, which couldn't be further from the truth. Sam let Finn tow him away but his eyes didn't stop burning into Janelle's startled pair until they reached Finn's Jeep. He climbed in the back seat and as the adrenaline started to subside, he became aware of his swelling and throbbing right hand. He glared at his hand and somewhere in his mind he vaguely realized that he probably wouldn't be drawing anything any time soon.

Quinn looked back at him and said, "We should take you to the hospital."

Sam shook his head, "It's fine. I need to go see Mercedes."

She twisted in her seat even more and said, "Are you an idiot? Look at your hand, Sam._ Really_ look at it!" To help him, she reached in her purse and pulled out her phone, using its backlight as a flashlight to hover over his right hand.

Sam looked again and saw his puffing, red skin more clearly than before. His tolerance for physical pain was generally high but he'd be lying if he said this didn't hurt. He knew Quinn was right but it didn't stop him from saying, "I need to tell Mercedes the truth."

She shook her head while lowering her phone away, "You _need_ to get your hand taken care of first. Plus she told you to stay away from her and you need to respect that."

"I have been respecting that. For weeks, I've been respecting that. But now I know the truth and she needs to know too. I'm not sitting on the truth anymore—look where it's gotten me, Quinn."

Quinn tilted her head slightly, managing a stern yet sympathetic gaze. "She's in a really fragile state right now Sam, and _I know_ for a fact that upsetting her isn't going to help anything for her or the baby." She saw the bitter anguish cross Sam's face and then told him, "Get your hand looked at first. If we happen to run into Lauren at the hospital, I'll talk to her and see if she and I can talk to Mercedes first."

"No," Sam shook his head, "I'm tired of her finding out stuff through other people, Quinn. She needs to hear it from me."

"I'm not arguing that, dude," chimed in Finn, "But…maybe Quinn and Lauren can get a feel for how Mercedes is doing and see if she'll talk to you first or something. I dunno…I mean it's been like…a couple weeks now? Hopefully she's calmed down since then."

"Yeah," Quinn warily spoke, "but don't count on it. I remember feeling so angry for so long about things when I was pregnant…" her sentence drifted as she caught the change in Sam's expression. "I'm not trying to discourage you and I know our situations are different—I just want you to be aware is all. And she's young. We all know I didn't say or do the smartest things when I was in her situation. But really, Sam…Lauren and I will do our best to try and get her to talk to you really soon, okay? I don't know Mercedes that well but…it doesn't seem like it's in her nature to stay angry. And regardless of hurt feelings, she _did_ feel something for you before Janelle interfered."

"We could all see that," encouraged Finn, glancing up at Sam from the rear view mirror. "I doubt it's just gonna go away for her."

Sam wanted to feel encouraged but he spoke, "My feelings for Janelle went away pretty quick…"

Quinn shook her head, "Not even the same thing, Sam. Yours and Janelle's relationship was like...this snowflake that grew into a huge, ugly snowball. We all could see the disaster coming for you but…you couldn't really see it because you were part of it. And warning you didn't really do any good because you were already in too deep."

"True," admitted Sam. He thought to himself how tired he had grown of arguing with Janelle all the time, and how sick he'd come of trying to appease her all the time. For a moment he wondered why he had tried so hard to stay with her near the end of their relationship, but he already knew the answer to that. It wasn't in his nature to quit; he didn't want to be the kind of person that gave up easily on anything or anyone. But he and Janelle were toxic, and though they were no longer together, she only further proved their toxicity through her latest stunt pulled.

An undetermined length of silence fell over the three in the car while Finn drove them to the hospital. As Sam saw the multi-story building come into view, he looked at his hand once more and then muttered, "Thanks you guys."

One way or another, he was going to find away to straighten things out between him and Mercedes. Grateful as he was for his friends, he did not want to rely on another person to try and make amends between him and Mercedes. He'd stopped grappling inside himself; while he hadn't spoken it, he did love her, and he did not want to lose her.

As he got out of the car, holding his hand to his chest, his cell phone buzzed inside his pocket. He reached inside and pulled it out to see that he had a text message from a number he didn't recognize.

"_Happy new year, Captain McDreamy. Consider this a late x-mas present. Meet me in the park Tues at 2:30. Don't be late_."

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! Did you figure out which moment I was looking forward to writing?**_

_**Also, just to clarify, here's a little "key" so to speak, of the character names mentioned/featured thus far:  
Mercedes Nichelle Jones  
Tamara & Reginald "Reggie" Jones (Mercedes' parents)  
Trent Jones (Mercedes' brother)  
Samuel Blake Evans  
Dwight & Mary Evans (Sam's parents)  
Stevie & Stacy Evans (Sam's siblings)  
Kurt Hummel  
Burt and Carole Hummel (Kurt and Finn's parents)  
Finn Hudson & Quinn Fabray  
Noah Puckerman & Lauren Zizes-Puckerman  
Abigail Puckerman  
Santana Lopez  
Brittany S. Pierce  
Janelle LaHaine  
Joseph Hart  
Blaine Anderson  
Tina Cohen-Chang  
Artie Abrams  
Will Schuester  
Rachel Berry  
And I think that's everyone so far!**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Since I'm having a lazy moment and don't feel like responding to some reviews in individual PMs, I'll just say that yes, Quinn backhanding Janelle was the part I was looking forward to writing out.  
And yes, I also thought Sam punching the wall was a little bit sexy ;) even if he injured his hand doing so.  
I won't lie, I'm a little bit surprised at how many of you were so upset with Mercedes. Not that I don't see where you all are coming from but it was a bit shocking for me to see so many of you go "Team Sam" from the way things unfurled in Chapter 14 & 15, though I did see some "Team Mercedes" folks sprinkled in there too. Haha.  
Finally, I don't want to turn anyone away from reading this fic further by saying this, but please don't make demands to see certain people/couples/ships in this fic. This is a Samcedes fanfiction piece so the majority of the focus will be on **_them_**. Also, I have a saved document of my own notes that are designed to help me map out the future of this fic; if I ever hit a road block or get curious, I promise I'll ask you guys about appearances and whatnot.  
Anyway…that's all my little notes for now. Enjoy Chapter 16!**_

**January 2012**

"_Change of plans Captain McDreamy. Meet at the Lima Bean Café instead_."

Sam rolled his eyes, amused by the text message—more so the nickname. By now he had learned that it was Finn's younger brother who was "mysteriously" referring to him as Captain McDreamy. He wasn't entirely sure where Kurt thought up the "McDreamy" part of the nickname but he figured it was harmless so he merely replied with, "_Ok_."

For the past two days, he wondered—and hoped—that Kurt's late Christmas present would be some news on Mercedes and the baby, although why he had to wait two days for that, he wasn't sure. Still, the fact that he had been sitting on vital information for two days was driving him crazy. He had just finished his daily jog and made his way upstairs, all the while rehearsing in his head how best to talk things out with Mercedes, were he given the chance.

After stripping out of his jogging clothes, he carefully pulled the Velcro off of the finger splints and hand brace. His trip to the hospital resulted in him receiving joined finger splints for his broken pinky and ring finger, as well as a hand brace for the sprain across all four knuckles. He tossed the braces on his bed and took a shower while recalling Puck's reaction to his busted hand.

"_Holy hell, what did you _do_, Cap?"_

"_Punched a brick wall," he admitted with zero humor in his voice._

_Puck stared at him, "Come again?"_

_To which Sam shrugged, "It was as close as I could get without actually hitting Janelle's face."_

_Right away Puck started cracking up, "Oh my God—you almost punched Janelle?"_

"_I wasn't gonna hit her. You know I don't do that."_

"_No I know, I know," snickered Puck, "But seriously…did she crap her pants or anything?"_

_Sam shook his head, "Don't think so. She started crying after we left her though."_

"_Yeah 'cause I'm sure you scared the stupid right out of her!" He laughed quietly but found himself growing quiet as he really looked at Sam's hand. "Oh man—dude what are we gonna do about Gladiator Girls? We gotta get the finished draft in by February; Mercedes is gone and your hand's busted."_

"_I know…but we'll get it done."_

He still wasn't entirely sure how that was going to happen but one way or another, he and Puck were going to get their draft finished on time. Once he'd finished showering, he dried off to get his brace and splint back on, and then proceeded to dress in a blue fitted 3-quarter length baseball tee and jeans. He grabbed one of his hoodies and headed out to his truck.

* * *

"This had better work, Fancy Pants. Britt and I leave on Saturday and I'm not spending the rest of my break playing matchmaker," fussed Santana.

"It's gonna work. Just go get Mercedes and bring her here. Tell her you wanna treat her to cocoa or cake pops or something!"

Kurt sat cross-legged at a small round table in the corner of the Lima Bean Café, looking fashionable as ever in his cement-colored pea coat, bumblebee scarf and black fitted jeans. He raised his latte to his lips while Santana sighed over the phone, "Fine. Where will he be?"

"Back in the corner, next to the shelves where they sell all the Lima Bean mugs. No one ever hangs around here so they'll have a little privacy. He's tall, blond and beautiful."

"Oh throw some cold water on yourself—you have a boyfriend."

"Yes, a boyfriend who appreciates my eye for attractive things."

"Just keep him around for 15 minutes, and we'll be there."

She hung up before Kurt could respond. The timing worked out well because he looked up to see Sam enter the café. In Kurt's mind, the chances of Sam losing the nickname Captain McDreamy anytime soon were slim-to-none. Seeing Sam with damp, combed back hair made Kurt even more determined to help right things between him and Mercedes; she'd be losing a diamond in the rough—on the inside and out. He focused on the task at hand while waving a hand to hail Sam over. When Sam reached the table, Kurt nodded, indicating for him to take a seat. "Did you want anything before we got started?"

Sam shook his head, wearing a wary expression, "I'm not all that big on coffee…and…started on what? I thought you said you had a late Christmas present for me."

"I do. But I wanted to talk to you first."

"Oh...okay," replied Sam.

Kurt sat up a little taller and after another sip of his latte, he asked, "What are your feelings towards Mercedes? I mean, aside from these past few weeks."

He saw his intrusive request take Sam by surprise but Sam quickly recovered as he answered, "Um…no offense, Kurt but I don't really feel okay talking about this with you. I don't know you that well."

"Well I don't know you that well either but what I do know is that you've gotten close to my best friend these past few months. Not only that but you two have a baby on the way and aren't exactly on speaking terms. Besides, you're not getting your present until we talk."

He watched Sam pinch his lips together and then finally yield to his wishes. "Kurt, I know Mercedes probably told you that I've just been using her to get a baby but that's not true. You and her talked about the baby at Breadstix before, right?"

Kurt's face stilled on a poised expression but he turned his head slightly while keeping his eyes on Sam. "Yeeeah, how did you know that?"

"Because my ex girlfriend, Janelle, works at Breadstix. She overheard you guys talking about it. And she overheard me talking to my dad about the baby and Mercedes being the mother, right after she'd told me herself. I swear, I didn't know until she told me."

Nodding with genuine understanding, Kurt said, "I believe you. But why didn't you tell her you were the father once you realized?"

Sam lowered his head with a shameful gaze, "I…it's exactly what Mercedes accused me of. I didn't want her thinking I was just being nice to her because she's the mother of my child."

"But if you'd just figured it out then…why would she think that?"

Sam shook his blond head, "I don't mean before…I meant from then, on. I didn't want her thinking from then on that everything I did for her was just because she's having my kid. I really care about her, and I have even before I knew about the baby. And the other reason I was waiting to tell her was because I knew she had a lot going on. I didn't know how she was going to react by me telling her I'm the baby's father, but if she had flipped out on me like she did, back when she had school stuff and all the other things going on, it would have just been another thing to stress her out."

"Which would be bad for her and the baby," connected Kurt. He took another sip of his latte and then asked, "So what are you planning to do now?"

Sam's face scrunched slightly, "Well…she threatened to skip town if I came near her again. I don't want that. I mean of course I care about her and all but she'd be taking my kid with her and I can't let her do that. I'd let her think whatever she would wanna think about me for as long as she'd want, but I want my child in my life."

Kurt's brows twitched up while his settled lips spread into a smile, "I have to say—I'm pretty impressed with you, Sam."

"Uh…thanks?"

"You're welcome. I'm assuming you know by now that Mercedes told me about the fight you two had, and well…you should know that I don't agree with how she handled the situation and she knows this already. I've been trying to get her to talk to you for the past few weeks but, well…she's stubborn and hormonal so I can only do so much before resorting to more drastic interventions."

It seemed like Kurt was talking a million miles per second because Sam's confused features remained.

"You seem like a good guy, Sam. She spoke really highly of you up until this incident and I think she knows deep down that she acted pretty badly towards you. That's not to say that I still think it was a little silly of you to prolong telling her you're the baby's daddy, but…I think it's time for that to be water under the bridge, don't you?"

"Yeah. I want to talk to her—I want her to know the truth if she'll give me the chance."

Kurt's crystal blue hues glanced away from Sam and towards the café's entrance as Mercedes entered, wearing tan winter coat over a blue faux wrap top and grey leggings. Behind her was Santana, who had locked eyes with him, nodded and quietly backed out of the door.

"Wait here," he said to Sam while rising from his seat. He grabbed his latte, crossed the short distance from their table to the door. Mercedes had just turned back to ask Santana a question but Kurt tapped her on the shoulder, startling her.

"Hey!" she said, sounding a little surprised, "I was just here with Santana…but…I don't know where she went."

Kurt grabbed her hand and towed her towards the back corner, all the while listening to her inquire about where he was taking her. He felt her feet come to a half when they were just a few feet away from the table. When he looked back at her face, her eyes were locked on the back of Sam's slightly scarred blond head. Right away, he felt his arm jerked hard by Mercedes.

"What the hell, Kurt?" she hissed.

"Sam!" he spoke loudly, ignoring her agitation. When Sam turned his head, his own face looked about as stunned as Mercedes' but he relaxed his features a lot sooner than she had.

Kurt freed his arm from Mercedes, side-stepped her and then gave her a gentle push from behind while telling Sam, "Merry belated Christmas, McDreamy!" And without giving either one of them a chance to say anything else to him, he turned and strode away and out the door.

* * *

_**Quick A/N: I'm going to try and get into Sam and Mercedes' heads for this portion of the chapter. Usually I try to stick to one character's thoughts/feelings and go off of what they assume & see the other is thinking and feeling. Anyway…sorry for my brief interruption. Read on!**_

Mercedes stared at Sam and he gazed back at her while an awkward silence filled the space between them. Mercedes bit her lip for a second and then mumbled, "Hey."

Sam turned a bit in his chair to face her and replied, "Hi…I um…I didn't know you were coming—I mean I had a hunch after Kurt and I talked for a bit, and I _do_ need to talk to you but…I didn't plan this, I swear."

She pursed her lips, "I kinda figured after Santana and Kurt took off like Bonnie and Clyde." A moment later, her phone buzzed in her coat pocket. She looked down while pulling it out, and read a text from Kurt.

"_McDreamy's your ride home. You better talk this out! Love you_."

Sam read the upset look on her face and asked, "Everything okay?"

"If okay means my friends tricked me into coming here and then left me? Then yep, everything's peachy." She saw Sam's concerned look falter, causing her icy sarcasm to melt away. "I'm sorry…I just…I guess I should've seen this coming from them is all." She shook her head and decided to take a seat since she was momentarily stuck there. If worst came to worst, she knew she could call her brother and get him to drive her car over to come get her.

As she sat down in the vacant chair, her eyes locked on Sam's splints and bracer. "Oh my God, what happened to you?"

Sam smiled crookedly at her, "It's part of what I need to talk to you. I sort of…punched a brick wall."

Mercedes chin dropped towards her chest while her chocolate hues fixed on his face, "You _what_? Have you lost your damn mind?"

"No. I just got really, really…really upset. I ran into Janelle the other day at Britannia Arms and…Mercedes hold on, I'm not starting this right." He grunted internally for screwing up the way by which he had rehearsed this earlier. "I wanted to tell you I'm sorry for not telling you I'm the father sooner. I should've, and I didn't. But those things you heard…Janelle told you all that stuff about me being baby crazy and not really caring about you, didn't she?"

Again Mercedes bit her lip; though she didn't see how he knew this, her lip biting was a clear indicator that he was right.

Sam cuffed one hand over the opposing limb's wrist; for the first time since arriving he wished he _did _order himself something—if for nothing else, simply for the sake of having something to occupy his hands while he tried to talk this out. "I tried telling you at your grad party that I don't like going to Breadstix anymore because she works there. I don't know what all she told you, but it wasn't the truth. She and I aren't together anymore because she left. She got mad and we fought about…well we'd been fighting about almost everything for a while now. But I didn't tell her I'd had some of my sperm frozen a few years ago."

Mercedes face contorted slightly. "Why not?"

"To be honest…it didn't seem that important for me to go around talking about. She and I had been together for about a year, which I suppose is a long time but…I didn't know where we were going to be after I went through all my chemo and had my surgery. I didn't know if things were going to be different for the better or the worst for us. Turns out it was for the worst but it was gradual. And the more our relationship started to fail, the less interested I became in telling her about it—that and I didn't really tell anyone except my mom, until recently. There was one time where I almost told Janelle though—before we considered a surrogate mother."

"What stopped you?" Mercedes asked.

"Well…we'd tried starting a family on our own and when it wasn't working, both of us went to the doctor's to find out what the problem was. We both thought it was me, having gone through all the chemotherapy and all…but it wasn't me. Janelle had some rare deficiency or something like that that made it next to impossible for her to conceive. But for that moment that we'd been certain it was me, I almost told her. After all, it was kind of the reason I'd done it in the first place."

"So…Janelle left you because she couldn't give you a baby…?" While she felt grateful that Sam was comfortable opening up and telling her all this, Mercedes still didn't see what led him into this tangent.

Sam shook his head, "Not exactly. We were interviewing potential surrogates and that's when it came out that I'd had some of my sperm stashed away. She blew up at me for it and we fought until she stormed out, breaking up with me along the way. She came back a couple days later but it was only to get her things from my house."

Mercedes shook her head in disbelief; disbelief that she had left herself be manipulated, first by Sam's ex, but by an irate woman in general.

"Sounds like she's not over you if she's trying to split us up."

Right away, one corner of Sam's mouth curved up, "Split us up, huh?"

Mercedes balked briefly at her own words and stammered, "We—I just meant we'd been close lately and all."

His lips were a full smile now as he said, "I know. But Mercedes, Janelle is crazy—don't forget that."

"After all this? Trust me, I will never forget her psycho self. But Sam, what does she have to do with your hand?"

He instinctively glanced down at it and shrugged, "I told you I punched a brick wall. But that was only after she told me what she'd done. She heard us talking about your pregnancy at different trips to Breadstix—put the pieces together and fed you those lies about my intentions."

"Wow." Mercedes tore her gaze from Sam, staring shamefully at the table. "I'm so sorry Sam," she whispered. "I shouldn't have flipped out on you like I did when I came to your house."

"I get why you freaked though," said Sam.

She pinched her fingers around one of the napkins Kurt left behind on the table, and watched herself do so. "To be honest…I wanted to apologize to you about before now, but I was scared to come to you."

Sam's brows dropped low over his eyes, "Why were you scared?"

"Because I threatened you. Sam, I don't want to keep you away from this baby. I was a bitch to you about everything and…Kurt tried to warn me and all but I couldn't anchor his words down in my mind when I saw you that day. And…I went into our confrontation, talking to you with a lot of fear on my mind."

"What were you scared of, Mercedes?" he wondered. Some of her words were still a bit unclear to him but he could see in her eyes that she possessed the clarity.

Mercedes bit her lip and shut her eyes. She hadn't found the words to explain this to anyone else yet as she sat across from Sam, the jumbled pieces started to come together in her mind. When her lips parted, she sighed, "Well when Janelle told me all that stuff about you…I kept thinking about the day at the clinic, and how I thought the girl who was with you was your girlfriend. But she was a surrogate…."

Sam nodded but still didn't understand where she was going.

"You were looking for a _surrogate_ mother, Sam. With the way Janelle said things to me, I thought that that's how you were seeing me, and nothing more. I felt like a fool." Worry lines appeared on her forehead as she looked down and held a hand over her stomach. "And I was afraid you were gonna force me to give up this baby because I wasn't supposed to be the one in this situation in the first place. I wasn't the one wanting a baby—you were."

Her eyes were glossing over; she was starting to hate how easily she cried these days but she still managed to speak clearly and coherently as she murmured, "But…we're both this baby's parents. And you aren't the only one who wants this baby, Sam. That's what scared me. It scared me how much I already love this baby and how much I want to be its mother. But more than anything, it scared me to think that you might take all that away from me one day."

Sam reached out for the hand that wasn't on her stomach and took hold of it. He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze while his other hand went to her face where he gently ran his thumb underneath her eyes. He caught the tears and wiped them away, all the while feeling a pang of anguish from her words. "Mercedes, I—…" he scooted his chair a bit closer to her and said, "If it's in your plans to be a mother to this baby, I don't want to take that away from you."He gave her hand another gentle squeeze and asked, "Do you remember me telling you that I wouldn't hurt you? Right after we'd kissed?"

Mercedes nodded.

"I still mean that. I know it doesn't seem like I'm doing such a bang-up job with that so far but...I'm sorry for causing you any pain—whether it was through me not telling you sooner about me being the dad, or just…everything with Janelle."

"You can't apologize for her, Sam. She seems like she caught a ride on the crazy train all by herself."

He chuckled softly and circled his thumb along the back of her hand a few times. He watched his hand do this for a moment but soon Mercedes' other hand had come over his and he felt her guide her fingertips across his sprained knuckles with the lightest of touches. Her initial touch made his cheeks warm but the more she did it, the more he found it to be unusually soothing.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you. And I wish I'd given you a chance to explain before—a real chance. Maybe you wouldn't have hurt your hand."

He didn't answer her right away. Instead he gingerly lifted her hand away to stop her fingertips' slow circuit and brought her hand to his lips. "Better late than never."

"But never late is better," she added with a smirk from the Drake quote. Sam smiled softly too while she gazed in his eyes. They two sat in silence, letting the other's words resonate in their minds until Mercedes spoke again. "Hey, um…I have a doctor's appointment in a couple weeks…do you want to come with me?"

A new smile broke out across Sam's face before he said, "I'd love that."

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! In the world of fanfic writing, what goes down will (likely) come back up, and vice versa. More is coming, of course! :) And MANY, MANY, MANY thanks to all you loyal readers & reviewers! Lots of love to each and every one of you!**_


	17. Chapter 17

**Late January 2012**

They already had one number for their Regionals; this year they were going up against Vocal Adrenaline and Oral Intensity for Regionals. There was little concern over beating Oral Intensity, but Vocal Adrenaline was another story. For years they have known that Vocal Adrenaline's weakness is funk, yet for some reason they never performed one. This year, Mercedes pushed for a funk number as a group number, so they had spent the weeks following Winter Break rehearsing and perfecting a routine to Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up", splitting the lead vocals between Joe, Artie, and Kurt. Sugar and Mercedes stepped up on teaching the choreography of a Soul Train line that spotlighted the appropriate singer during their features throughout the song.

Now that Regionals was a few weeks away, they were putting their focus on the other two numbers. The theme for Regionals was "Songs of the 90's" and at least two of the numbers needed to be from the decade—one was required to be feature one member of the group. The New Directions boys put in a request for another group number and were in the middle of practicing N*SYNC's "Tearin' Up My Heart" with Mr. Schue while Mercedes and the girls talked about the final number.

The girls agreed on performing B*witched's big hit, "C'est La Vie" but now it was a matter of deciding who to feature for the verses. All the girls rolled their eyes when Rachel advocated first for the solo.

"I mean let's be realistic—while I'm sure some of you might be fine candidates, the song is perfect with my vocal range and I know I could give us that extra edge to beat Vocal Adrenaline."

"Hold on, Nancy Drew," protested Sugar. "Why should you just automatically get the solo? You always get a solo or duet or some kind of stand-out moment at the competitions. I want a chance! I want my stand-out moment."

"Please, Sugar you can't even sing that well."

Sugar's chest puffed, "I could mop the floor with you, Miss Thinks-She-Knows-It-All!"

Mercedes ceased the ensuing argument with her hands coming up, "You guys—stop, this isn't getting us any closer to a solution."

"Well, what do _you_ think, Oh Fearless Leader?" mocked Rachel. "Need I remind you all, Vocal Adrenaline already has their set list mapped out and met up to practice over Winter Break?"

Ignoring Rachel's cheeky attitude, Mercedes looked to her left and said, "I really think Tina should get the feature."

"_What_?" Rachel and Sugar balked in unison.

All eyes were on Tina who looked incredibly hesitant. "I don't know, Mercedes. I mean…the female solos usually go to you or Rachel…"

"Exactly," Mercedes replied confidently. "But it's our last Regionals together and I know you've got the pipes to handle this. We all deserve one shot in the spotlight before the school year ends, and I don't just mean here in the choir room." She then looked around the group of girls and said, "I'm not gonna demand that Tina get the stand-out moment, but I do think she should get it." Her hand went up, "All in favor?"

The group of girls all gave one more glance at Tina and then hands started to gradually rise. The only one not to raise their hand was Rachel. Sugar did raise her hand but she asked, "What about my stand-out moment, Mercedes?"

Mercedes thought for a moment, and then settled on saying, "You and I are teaming up on the choreo for the group number, right? Well…I know you still have a couple more years before graduating, so…what if your stand-out moment's a dance feature?"

Sugar's lips spread into a determined smile, "Oh I've sooo got this! Thanks, 'Cedes! And no offense to the rest of you but…I'm going to outshine you all." Her matter-of-factly tone was followed by an unapologetic shrug and her mentioning of Asperger's.

By now everyone learned not to react to every stand-offish thing Sugar said, but there was a clearly annoyed response when Rachel spoke up, "Mercedes I don't think this is the way to go, with giving Tina the solo."

"I'm not _giving_ Tina the solo, Rachel. We took a vote. Majority wins. Case closed."

"We're going to lose!" argued Rachel.

Mercedes eyes widened; her brunette rival's remorselessness for insulting Tina made her irritation flare to blatant upset. "Rachel, just because you're all about Vocal Adrenaline's star player doesn't mean you get to gauge what's gonna win Regionals for us."

Sugar gasped, "You're still seeing Jesse St. Cloud?"

"It's St. _James_," corrected a resolute Rachel, "And yes I am. Our relationship hasn't affected our abilities as vocal competitors and it isn't affecting what I'm saying right now, which is the truth!" She then turned a condescending tone on to Tina. "Tina, while I appreciate your vocal capabilities, I really don't think Regionals is the time or place for you to carry a solo."

No one could tell if Tina was going to cry or rip Rachel's bangs out of her scalp. Rachel looked unfazed by the air of tension she was creating, but before things could get out of hand again, Mercedes spoke, "Okay you know what, Rachel? I'm not gonna waste my breath telling you how rude that was 'cause I know it'll just go in one ear and out the other. But I'm pulling rank. We took a vote and Tina's getting the solo. If you don't like it, you don't have to perform in this number."

Rachel folded her arms, "Fine. If you all want to let our chances of going to Nationals ride on Tina getting the solo, then don't say I didn't tell you so when the judges hand first place to Vocal Adrenaline."

"Shut_ up_, Rachel!" shrieked Tina.

The entire choir room went quiet—including the boys. Everyone was watching as Tina shot up to her feet, fists clenched, and glared at Rachel. "You always act like Mother Superior but you know what? You're not! You're rude and selfish and the only reason anyone here puts up with you is because you have a good voice! But so do a lot of us! Stop trying to put everyone else down like you're the queen bee of glee! I'm sick of it!"

Rachel looked taken aback but quickly pulled herself together, despite her voice being barely above a whisper as she said, "W-wow…okay…you're bent on proving me wrong, then fine—I won't say anything else. Until the judges announce the winning glee club, I'll keep my mouth shut and do _whatever _you guys want."

Mercedes narrowed her eyes suspiciously. In the four years she and Rachel had been in this club, she had never known Rachel to go one day without interjecting her opinion about something. The next few weeks leading to Regionals were about to be interesting, to say the least, but she was confident in her decision to make Tina the soloist.

* * *

Sam pulled up to the Jones' residence to pick up Mercedes. Her appointment was in a half an hour and to say the least, he was thrilled to be going along; it was the first time he was actually going to see his son or daughter. A couple weeks back, when Mercedes returned to work, they exchanged their Christmas presents. Sam was finally able to give her the pearl necklace and Mercedes had given him Captain America earbuds and added a Christmas card at the last minute, which included a copy of their baby's first ultrasound sonogram.

At the sight of the sonogram, Sam was rendered speechless, but eventually he'd given Mercedes the longest hug and the sweetest kiss to thank her. Since then, he had kept the picture propped up against the lamp on his nightstand so that every morning and every evening, he would have the reminder of where his priorities needed to be from now on. His relationship with Mercedes was on the mends, but they both had another long talk about putting their baby above anything else—no matter how petty or major differences or disagreements might arise between them, they both knew they needed to do what was going to be best for the baby.

He smiled softly to himself as he rang the Jones' doorbell and rocked on his heels, waiting for an answer. Mercedes' Equinox was in the driveway beside her mom's Chevy Cruz, so he knew someone was home. His gaze returned to the front doors when he heard a lock shift, followed by the doors opening up. Mrs. Jones smiled up at him, "Hello, Sam! Come on in—Mercedes is almost ready."

She stepped aside and Sam entered, dipping his chin with one nod 'hello'. "Thanks Mrs. Jones. How are you?"

"I'm doing good. How are you?" Before Sam could answer, she turned her head towards the stairs and called, "Mercedes! You better get down here—you and Sam are gonna be late!"

He clamped his lips together to try and contain the amused smile that was itching to be known. Ever since he and Mercedes had reconciled, their parents had been expressing their own bits of excitement about becoming grandparents. The Joneses were still sorting through the lawsuit, so their joy was sometimes poked by a bitter stick, but nevertheless, they were being surprisingly supportive of their daughter and Sam's decision to raise the baby together.

"I'm coming!" Mercedes called from her bedroom.

Mrs. Jones shook her head and looked back to Sam, "Are you two planning to find out the sex of the baby?"

"Um…I'm not sure. We hadn't really talked about it yet," he admitted with a nervous chuckle.

"I see." Mrs. Jones gave one more glance back towards the stairs and then gave her full attention to Sam. She lowered her voice and said, "Sam, would you mind meeting Mr. Jones and I for lunch sometime soon? Friday, maybe? We'd just like to talk to you."

Sam swallowed back his nervousness and nodded, "Sure." He noticed she hadn't mentioned Mercedes, which meant that they would undoubtedly be talking to him about their relationship—or lack thereof.

As Mrs. Jones' smile returned and she uttered, "Great," to Sam, Mercedes came down the stairs, wearing skinny jeans and a magenta shawl collar sweater under her tan winter coat.

Sam smiled at her and she returned it while saying, "Hey."

"Hey back," he replied. "Ready to go?"

She adjusted her purse strap at her shoulder and said, "You know it—come on."

He opened the front door for her and as he followed her back out, he heard Mrs. Jones whisper, "Thank you, Sam. Friday?"

He glanced over his shoulder and nodded, "Friday."

"Come on, slow poke!" Mercedes teased, clasping her arms around herself as she stood waiting at the passenger door of Sam's truck. "It's cold out here."

As if to add to her teasing, Mercedes tipped her chin up and blew puffs of warm breath into the chilly winter air but he saw her smile again as he approached her door to unlock and open it for her. "Thank you, Captain."

He grinned softly and leaned into the cab expectantly once she was seated inside. What he didn't plan on was her tugging his beanie down over his eyes after she gave him the kiss on the lips he was seeking.

"Thaaaanks, Stormy," he sarcastically replied, pulling the beanie back up to the top of his forehead. He shut his door, walked around the front of the truck and got in to take them to Lima's hospital. While he drove down the street he asked her, "How's Glee club doing?"

"It's okay. Remember that girl I told you about—Rachel?"

"Yeah—the girl who wants your captain's spot? Speaks pretty highly of herself and stuff?"

"That's the one," she replied like a game show hostess. "Well she lost her damn mind today. She wanted the solo for Regionals but the rest of us voted for my friend Tina to have it. Now Rachel's acting like the biggest baby over it, announcing that she's giving some sort of silent treatment or something until after the judges announce the winner." He saw Mercedes shake her head and sigh while mumbling, "I can't wait for her to get dished up a fat piece of humble pie after we win."

Sam chuckled at the bit of ferocity in Mercedes' voice. "Whoa, well she should learn that Glee club's never just been about one person all the time. It's a club—everyone deserves a little limelight once in a while."

"That's what_ I _said!" exclaimed Mercedes. "She just doesn't care though, unless it's something that works in her favor." Again, she shook her head but her tone changed this time. "Anyway, I don't wanna talk about Rachel anymore."

"Good. Me neither," he replied smartly. "But I do think we should talk about the sex of the baby." His eyes glanced over at her for a second before returning to the road. "Your mom asked me if we were going to find out what the sex of the baby is, given the chance."

"I keep telling her it doesn't matter—I'm just praying for a healthy baby."

Sam's brows arched, "So you don't care either way—boy or girl?"

"Not really. I mean…I think girls are always more fun to shop for but I saw this really cute little Chicago Bulls onesie that came with some Baby Jordans. Ugh, I'd buy that if I knew we were having a boy!" gushed Mercedes.

At that, he jokingly protested, "Hold on a sec—who says our son would be a Bulls fan?"

From his peripheral vision he saw Mercedes turn her head, staring incredulously at him. "Uh, me? Why what team would you have him in?"

"Miami Heat, all the way."

"Psh! Not in _my_ lifetime!"

"Why not? Miami's a good team!"

"No, LeBron James and Dwayne Wade are good players. Without them, no one would give a lick about the Heat."

Sam rolled his eyes, "Whatever you say."

Mercedes chuckled softly, "Damn straight. But what about you? Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?"

He thought about her question; it wasn't something he hadn't thought about before now but for a while he had gone back and forth on his answer. "Well for a long time I'd said I wanted a son first. But then Puck and Lauren had Abby and it made me think that having a girl first would be kinda fun. But now…I kinda feel the way you do; as long as the baby's healthy…it could be twins for all I care!"

"Oh God, do not say that!" ordered Mercedes. Sam looked at her to see her eyes were incredibly wide and her hands were guarding her stomach like holding it might prevent the prospect of twins.

He laughed again, "Don't worry. That sonogram you showed me only had one baby in it. I think you're safe."

"You better hope so, otherwise I'm giving you the beating of your life for jinxing me."

"Yes ma'am," Sam replied with a sassy smirk.

* * *

Mercedes lay back on the bed, watching Sam's knee bounce up and down. She giggled softly at him, "Are you nervous?"

"No…yes…I don't know—I'm just anxious, I guess."

Her hand reached over and rubbed his shoulder, "Don't pass out on me though, okay?"

Sam put his hand over hers and acted like he was going to bite her fingertips. When she squealed and yanked her hand away, he chuckled, "I won't pass out."

Mercedes poked his cheek and quickly pulled her hand away before he could catch her finger between his teeth.

_Knock, knock, knock_.

Both their heads looked to the opening door; Mercedes' new OBGYN, Dr. Brenner, entered the room.

"How are you doing today, Ms. Jones?"

She placed her hands over her stomach, "I'm good. I've been a little tired more often lately and my pants aren't fitting me right anymore, but other than that, I'm good."

Dr. Brenner smiled while flipping on the ultrasound monitor. "Well that's all normal." She paused looking over at Sam and asked, "Is this your boyfriend?"

Mercedes mouth opened to answer but she didn't know what to say. Dating, yes but did that make them official? She wondered if her thoughts were apparent on her face because Sam spoke up.

"I'm Sam—father of her baby." He stole a little momentary look at Mercedes while adding, "And I'm working on the whole boyfriend thing."

Mouth still open slightly, Mercedes gaze at him; her lips spread into a bashful smile when he winked at her.

"Well congratulations," the doctor spoke genuinely. "And good luck—you know, with the whole boyfriend thing."

Mercedes giggled softly and Sam grinned like he was accepting a challenge. But her eyes closed when her doctor instructed her to lift her shirt in preparation for the ultrasound. She glanced over at Sam, having a second of self-consciousness, and then slowly tugged her shirt up. Her teeth clamped down on her bottom lip, feeling his eyes on her but the unexpected sent a prickle of calm over her.

Sam's two longest fingers were stroking her hair, repeatedly running the tips of his digits along her hairline from her forehead to the lobe of her left ear. She never knew before that that meager gesture could be so soothing.

She turned her head towards him to thank him but she gasped softly, feeling the cold gel squeezed below her belly button. Her doctor apologized for the shock, but Mercedes recovered from it in no time and turned her head back towards the sonogram screen. "Doctor Brenner, when will be able to know what the sex of the baby is?"

Her doctor moved the transducer along her lower belly to spread the gel out while searching for the baby. "Well, you're about 19 weeks—have you felt any movement from the baby yet?"

Right away, Mercedes' lips puckered. "I'm not sure." Her cheeks warmed. "I thought I did a couple of times, but…"

As her sentence drifted into silence, Dr. Brenner told her, "It's okay. It's not unusual for indigestion or gas to be mistaken for fetal movement."

Mercedes face completely flushed, particularly when she saw Sam's pearly whites from her peripheral vision.

"But…" spoke Dr. Brenner. "It looks like you've got a little party animal in there."

Both Sam and Mercedes' gazes went to the monitor. They saw a grayish-blue side profile of their son or daughter; the contours of its lips were moving while the doctor noted one of its hands was raised. Mercedes was entranced by the rare adorable image she was seeing. Somehow, she managed to take her eyes off the screen long enough to take in Sam's reaction.

His green eyes were entirely fixated; his non-splinted fingers were still on her forehead and his lips were parted, awestruck. His lips stretched into a smile as the doctor turned up the volume, allowing them to hear the baby's rapid heartbeat.

"Whoa…It's so fast," Sam whispered.

"Babies are tiny," responded Dr. Brenner. "Our hearts are about the size of our fists, so their hearts are tiny and have a lot of work to do."

Mercedes reached for his good hand and when their fingers brushed against one another, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Your baby looks good; its heartbeat is strong which is what we wanna hear. Now, you have about four more months to go, so from here, the baby is mostly going to grow. Keep taking care of yourself, Mercedes. Your well-being is going to determine your baby's well-being. And Dad? You help take care of her. You two will want to start preparing your baby's living space, if you haven't already."

Mercedes and Sam both nodded but their eyes kept going back to the monitor. Their baby's hand had lowered but they could see it still moving slightly on the screen.

"Did you two want to know the sex?"

Mercedes clamped her smiling lips and looked up to Sam. He returned the gaze, simpering down at her. After seeing the shared answer in his eyes, she looked back to her doctor to relay their decision.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! Sorry this chapter took me so long! I was extremely distracted today, haha. Hopefully I'll crank out the next chapter a lot sooner! :)**_

_**By the way, I'm taking first & middle name suggestions for Baby Evans via reviews! Boy AND girl name suggestions would be fantastic! Keep in mind Sam's love of comic books (and in canon, astronomy), Mercedes' love of art, and growing love for comics. They both love to sing/were in Glee club, & (though I haven't heavily established this just yet, beyond her involvement in Chicago) Mercedes also loves musicals.**_


	18. Chapter 18

**Late January, 3 days following the previous chapter**

_She stood up from a queen-sized bed that was unfamiliar to her; unlike her own bed, it was low to the ground and donned a black comforter. She looked around, wondering where she was and started to leave the room, but a deep, familiar voice—a man's voice, brought her to a halt._

"_Mercedes…"_

_She turned around to see Sam standing under the arch of an entrance with steam floating out from behind his entire frame. He was wearing nothing but a white bath towel which hung low on his carved hips. Her eyes looked him up from said towel, to his polished abs and toned arms right up to the lustrous smirk on his face. She had never seen him without a shirt on before but this was _exactly_ as she imagined he would look underneath all those fitted tops he frequently wore._

_He sauntered confidently to her and as soon as he was close enough, his strong arms curled around the middle of her back, pulling her close. His golden locks were hanging with faint dampness above his smoldering eyes. She knew he was a handsome man, but this was just downright sexy to the point where he seemed too good to be true. His sage hues pierced her eyes until he lowered his face towards hers to capture her with his pair. She gasped through her nose at the keen roughness of his lips, but no part of her protested it. In fact, her toes were curling into the thick carpet while her fingers were exploring his strong, solid chest. She groaned against his lips, feeling his tongue glide along her lower lip in a playful request for admission. The moment she allowed it, her body pressed even closer to his but the contact made between his bare chest and her rounding belly made her gasp and pull her lips away. _

_Immediately, she snapped her gaze up at Sam, alarmed that he would be upset with her—after all, it was the sort of reaction she often received from her ex. But Sam merely smiled at her and lowered her face again, grazing her neck with tender kisses. Before she knew it, she was being hoisted up off the ground; her hands instinctively locked around Sam's neck while he carried her to the bed and carefully set her down on her back. _

_He hovered over her, supporting his own weight while lowering his face to resume kissing her lips with just as much passion as before. Something firm from beneath his towel brushed up against her thigh. His kisses, coupled with the heat radiating from his bare upper body were driving her crazy. Never had anyone ever turned her on like this before. Then again, she had never let anyone get this far with her before. His hands were slipping underneath her shirt and she was certain she was going to let him pull it off…_

BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!

Mercedes jolted awake and quickly rolled her eyes shut at the obnoxious buzzing of her phone alarm. It wasn't her first time she'd had a dream like this; her pregnancy, coupled with the amount of time spent with Sam was causing steamy dreams to visit her frequently. As much as it startled her to be having it again, it was equally irritating for her. She and Sam hadn't escalated their relationship to that much intimacy and with her being pregnant, she didn't see it as something that was likely to change anytime soon. For now, it was a very well-kept secret and yet, it made her pray that she could keep her thoughts in check when she went to work later on.

"Lord, let me make it without any slip-ups today," she mumbled while shutting off her alarm.

She sat up, bringing a hand to her stomach for a few gentle rubs and yawned. "Good morning, Baby," she said, smiling down at her rounding tummy. It stunned her how quickly her body changed within the past couple of weeks; she had yet to disclose to her friends in Glee club—aside from Kurt—that she was expecting, but a pair of Spanx would likely keep any of them from getting suspicious, at least until after Regionals passed. That was her goal—to make it through Regionals, and _then_ tell them.

For the time being, she was grateful that her stomach already sported some curves; that and the chilly weather gave her a legitimate excuse to wear layers whenever she went out. The area around her belly button was firmer than usual, thanks to the baby's presence, so the difference was felt more than it was seen.

With a few shakes of her head, she wandered about her room, getting her clothes laid out for the day, all the while humming softly for the baby. At her appointment, the doctor told her and Sam that the baby could hear them, and that it's good to talk and sing songs so that their voices are familiar. Before Sam brought her back home, they spent a few hours at his place, cuddled up on the couch and talking over names.

"_I still really like Luke," Sam told her._

"_Yeah because you're a Star Wars geek," teased Mercedes. _

"_Hey, that's not a bad thing to geek out over. But I also like Sully."_

_Her eyes narrowed but was joined with an amused smile, "Let me guess…like 'Jake Sully'?" She imitated the voice of the spiritual leader, Moat, in _Avatar_ as she spoke the name._

"_Hey that was pretty good!"_

_She giggled, "Am I right though?"_

_Sam nodded._

"_But what if it's a girl?"_

_He tapped his chin thoughtfully and then decided, "Natasha. Like Natasha Romanoff." _

"_What about Stella?"_

"_Stella?" he echoed, sounding uncertain._

"_Yeah. You like the stars, right?"_

_Sam smiled at her, "Yeah…but I never told you that—how did you know that?"_

"_Well…you have a telescope in the corner there," she pointed to the corner to the right of the living room's window, "and there's like...at least a dozen books on your bookshelf," her finger shifted to the left of the window, "all on astronomy, constellations and the zodiac calendar."_

_She smiled and briskly pinched his reddening cheeks, "I think it's cute. But I really like the name Stella. It means 'star' and this baby would be our little star, right?"_

_He returned the smile once she finished explaining and said, "Right."_

_Mercedes leaned her head on his shoulder but she soon lifted it up again, staring wide-eyed at her stomach. "Well _someone_'s awake again."_

_Sam's gaze went to her stomach as well; she saw him purse his lips and then ask, "Can I feel?"_

_His politeness was one of many qualities about him that she'd quickly loved about him. Her right hand left her tummy and reached for his left hand to place it where she had been feeling the gentle kicks. Rather than gaze at their overlapping hands, she stared at his face, to take in the inexplicable look on his face. He seemed to be caught somewhere between serenity and awe. _

The look on his face when he first saw and heard their baby, and first felt its kick was the same blissful, wonderstruck expression each time. Mercedes hoped it would forever remain embedded in her mind. But for the time being three gentle raps on her bedroom door derailed her thoughts.

"Come in," she replied, laying a denim jacket out beside her white long-sleeve shirt and black and gold screen tee.

When the door opened, she saw her mom standing under its frame. "Good morning, Mercedes."

"Morning," she replied, adding a pair of maternity-friendly skinny jeans to her wardrobe. "You and Dad are meeting up with Sam today, right?"

Mrs. Jones nodded, "We are. We're actually heading out to meet him which is what I was coming to tell you."

Mercedes folded her hands nervously across her chest. "Okay. Mom…whatever you guys are gonna talk about, please don't scare him away. I really like him."

"Mercedes, please. Your father and I aren't going to scare away Sam. And I know you really like him."

The elder Jones woman wandered further into her daughter's room and said, "You and Sam might not have made some formal announcement about your relationship, but I'm not blind." She cast a knowing smirk at her daughter, but it went away as she asked her, "Are you and Sam planning to move in together before the baby's born?"

Right away, Mercedes' eyes bugged; it wasn't exactly a horrific idea, but the images from her dream immediately flashed in her mind, causing her to sputter. "I—I uh…Mom, I don't know. We haven't talked about that."

Mrs. Jones put her hands up, "Well I wouldn't be surprised if that topic came up between you two soon. Of course your father and I aren't going to kick you out, Baby but…for the sake of the baby, it is important to give it a stable living environment, and shuffling back and forth from home to home all the time isn't ideal for stability."

Mercedes' brows pulled together. "Wait, so…you and Daddy think I should move in with Sam? That's what you're saying?"

"Like I told you before, Mercedes—we're not going to kick you out. We understand that the situation you and Sam are in is…unique, to say the least. We want you two to make your choices together like adults. No more childish repeats of what happened before Christmas, alright?"

"I understand, Mom." So much had occurred over the past few months that she hadn't really made a lot of time to think about how she and Sam were going to make things work once the baby was actually here. Now that the months were dwindling even closer to the due date, her mother's words were having a stronger impact in her mind.

"One more thing, Mercedes," spoke Mrs. Jones. "I'm glad you and Sam are getting along and making things work for now, and we think he's a wonderful man but you remember your priorities, Mercedes. Your father and I want you to be happy, but whether you two decide to live together or not, we also don't want you getting swept up in fantasies with this man and lose sight of creating a successful life for you and your child in the long run."

"Mom, that isn't gonna happen," replied Mercedes. "I haven't forgotten about school, and I know I can't work with Sam like this for forever but…it is a job, and it's one that works for both of us while we wait for the baby to get here."

Her mom pursed her lips with a bit of excess moisture in her eyes. She reached up and tucked a few free strands of her daughter's weave behind her ear, "I know, it's just…" she sighed softly and ended with a smile, "I sometimes forget how grown you are…_most_ of the time."

Mercedes' lips broke out into a smile.

"I just want you to take care of yourself and be happy, Baby." She pulled her daughter into a fierce hug. "And remember that your father and I are here for you too."

Mercedes returned the hug and told her mom, "I will."

* * *

Sam checked himself over in the mirror to make sure he looked decent. He'd been letting some of his facial hair grow back out again over the past week and that morning, he'd tidied it up to stubbly reddish-brown goatee again and dressed in black long-sleeved v-neck and jeans, hoping that wherever they were going was a casual enough place for said outfit. Mrs. Jones called him the previous day, telling him to meet them at the Milano Café at noon. He had never eaten there before, but he knew it was an Italian restaurant. Thinking on it now he mused over the Jones family's apparent love for Italian food. It was something he was going to try and remember once Valentine's Day rolled around.

After grabbing his keys, wallet, phone and army green jacket, he decided he was ready to go and headed out to his truck. During the entire drive to the café, he tried to mentally prepare himself for whatever Mr. and Mrs. Jones wanted to discuss with him. Did they want him to testify for the lawsuit court date in April? Were they expecting him and Mercedes to bring their baby up a certain way? Did they want to form some sort of contractual agreement in terms of how often the baby was at his house versus theirs? He wondered these things, and more over the past few days but it only truly made him anxious as he reached the Milano Café. He saw Mrs. Jones' apple red Chevy Cruze and parked close by.

Upon entering the restaurant, he took one big deep breath and let his eyes find Mr. and Mrs. Jones. The hostess at the door asked, "How many?" to which he shook his head and replied, "I'm actually meeting someone here…I think they're already here."

"What's the last name?"

"Jones."

The hostess looked down at the seating chart and said, "Oh, right this way."

Sam followed her towards the rear of the restaurant where Mr. and Mrs. Jones were already seated, conversing amongst themselves in a booth. Mr. Jones looked up and raised a hand to catch his attention, and Mrs. Jones looked up with a friendly smile. This felt like a good sign to Sam.

"Nice to see you, Sam," spoke Mrs. Jones who slid out of the booth to give him a hug. He returned the gesture and when she let go, his right hand went to Mr. Jones to shake it as best he could.

"How's your hand doing?" Mr. Jones asked in his traditionally deep voice.

Sam swiveled his wrist a couple of times and smiled faintly; he didn't know how much Mercedes told them in regard to how he got this injury, but he told them, "It's doing better, thanks. I'll be able to take the brace off in a week or so."

"Please, have a seat," Mrs. Jones gestured to the booth's opposing bench while she, herself sat back down beside her husband.

Their waitress arrived and asked Sam if she could get him anything to drink.

"Iced tea would be great," he replied. "Thanks."

As the waitress scribbled it down and walked away, Mrs. Jones asked, "How are you, Sam?"

He twiddled his thumbs, "I'm good. Just…blown away by how fast time's flying."

Mr. Jones chuckled, "Yeah it seems the older we get, the faster time goes, doesn't it?"

Sam chuckled as well, "Yeah it does. I mean…winter's gonna be over soon, and I can't believe the baby's gonna be here in just a few months."

"Mhm," mumbled Mr. Jones. "And speaking of the baby, that's primarily what Tamara and I wanted to talk to you about today."

He nodded and Mr. Jones went on. "I'm someone who takes a man's word very seriously. So when someone tells me they're gonna do something, I expect them to follow through. Y'understand?"

"Of course, sir," Sam replied with one nod. His heartbeat picked up, slightly unsure of where this was going.

"That being said, I also grew up in a neighborhood with a lot of cats who said they'd handle their business, but when the time came, they packed up and left."

"Now we know that this baby is something that you wanted in the first place," spoke Mrs. Jones.

Mr. Jones cut across her and said, "But we also know things can change once the baby gets here…"

Sam now understood fully what they were getting at; his eyes went slightly wide and he shook his head repeatedly while growing very serious. "Mr. and Mrs. Jones—I would _never_, ever walk away from my child. I wasn't raised like that, and you're right in saying that being a dad is something I want. I mean…I didn't expect it to happen the way it did, obviously, but I don't regret it. I wouldn't resent my son or daughter for getting here the way they have, nor am I upset by Mercedes being its mother."

"Do you love her?" Mr. Jones asked without hesitation.

Sam was taken aback by his bold inquiry. He knew the answer, but it wasn't one he wanted to say aloud to her_ parents_ first. Still, he had no interest in lying to Mercedes' parents and they were waiting for his answer.

"Are we ready to order?" spoke the waitress, seizing all three adults' attention.

Flushed, Sam opened the menu for the first time while Mrs. Jones ordered her food. He skimmed over something simple that he figured he would enjoy, and when it came to his turn to order, he requested chicken cacciatore.

"Aaaalright, I'll be back soon with your order!" said the perky waitress. Her appearance hadn't stopped the Joneses from seeking an answer to Mr. Jones' question, however.

"I haven't told her yet, but I do, sir," Sam finally admitted with his cheeks still burning bright red.

Mrs. Jones clamped her lips together in a way that was not unlike how he'd seen Mercedes do before her bashful smile would appear. Surely enough, Mrs. Jones smiled softly but it seemed like she hadn't meant for it to be seen because it quickly went away.

"Well…" Mr. Jones stared at the table in thought for a moment and then looked back to Sam. "You keep taking care of her and the baby—treat 'em right, and I'm sure my daughter will reciprocate the feelings."

Mrs. Jones slid out of the booth to let her husband out; all the while Sam was staring in confusion as Mr. Jones grabbed his black trench coat, stepped up to the edge of Sam's bench and held his right hand out. "I've got to get back to work, but I'm glad we were able to talk for a bit."

Sam raised his injured hand up with hesitation, still a bit confused, but he was warmed a bit by the next words out of Mr. Jones' mouth.

"You're a good man, Sam Evans. I'm sure your parents are real proud of you—I hope we'll get to meet them soon."

He cast a slight smile at Sam and Sam returned it with a nod of his head. "Thanks, Mr. Jones."

"I'll be seeing you." After a quick peck on his wife's lips, Mr. Jones threaded his arms into his coat and headed out.

Sam watched him go for a moment, and then looked back to Mrs. Jones who was smiling from ear-to-ear.

"You're quite the young man, Sam. You and Mercedes are mature beyond your years." She chuckled softly with slow shakes of her head. "But enough of the heavy conversations for now, although I _do_ want to meet your parents sometime soon—particularly your mother."

"My mother?" Sam echoed, confused.

Her bright smile returned as she said, "Yes. Our grandbaby will be here before we know it; she and I have a shower to plan."

* * *

After another practice with the Glee club that afternoon, Mercedes and Tina start their weekend by following each other in their cars to the local mall. They walked past each window of the shops after a quick stop at the food court. Tina was eyeing Mercedes' unusual choice of an Auntie Anne's pretzel with Taco Bell's spicy hot sauce.

"Um…Mercedes, is that really any good?"

Mercedes slowed her chewing while she stared back at her friend. She shrugged, "I missed having lunch today."

"No, I know but…hot pretzels and hot sauce? You hate spicy stuff."

She bit her lip as Tina stopped and folded her arms. But shock broke out on Tina's face, followed by a whisper, "Mercedes, are you pregnant?"

Right away, Mercedes' eyes bulged. "Why would you think that?"

"Well…no one else in glee club might have noticed, but…lately you've been leaving class like…every five minutes to go to the bathroom. When you sit down, you always have a hand over your stomach, and now you're eating weird food?" She seemed to pick up on the worried look Mercedes was wearing and lowered her voice. "Mercedes, if you are, you can tell me. I'm your friend and I promise I won't tell."

Mercedes sounded like she was going to cry but no tears filled her eyes when she spoke. "I wasn't going to tell anyone else in glee club until after Regionals…"

Tina's eyes widened but she softened her expression right away and settled her lips. "Who else knows?" she whispered.

"Just Kurt…and now you. Tina, please don't tell anyone. Not yet."

"You know I won't, Mercedes. But…you're not going to be able to hide it much longer." Tina smiled softly with a light touch of Mercedes' coat lapel. "Layers won't hide you for forever."

Mercedes chuckled, "Trust me—I know. I'm about to pull a Beyoncé at Regionals and layer up on the Spanx. I just wanna get through the competition, and then…then I'll tell everyone at glee club."

"You don't wanna have to tell them at all, do you?" guessed Tina.

"No," Mercedes answered without hesitation. I had enough of going through the rumor mill when school started. Me telling people at school that I'm pregnant is gonna get that started all over again. They'll think I went from prude to slut."

Tina frowned; she hugged Mercedes and told her, "Who cares what they'll think? You're above their bull crap—you always have been."

Needing this, Mercedes returned the hug. "Thanks, Tina." When they pulled apart, Tina kept a hand around Mercedes shoulder.

"Anytime, Mercedes. Plus if anyone comes after you…Kurt and I have your back."

She grinned, "Thanks. I think I'll be able to handle it, to be honest. I mean words and false rumors still hurt, but I also only come to school for glee club now."

They continued on with their window shopping and after a handful of silent seconds, Tina turned a smile on Mercedes again and asked, "So…is it a boy or a girl?"

"I don't know yet. When Sam and I went to find out b—"

"Sam?" Tina's interest perked. "Who's Sam?"

Unable to help herself at the thought, Mercedes smiled, "Well…he's the baby's father. It's a long story, but we went to the doctor's earlier this week and the baby had its legs closed for like…20 minutes, so we couldn't find out yet. We've been talking about names though."

"Really? What names are you thinking of?"

Mercedes smiled. "We spent forever talking it over after the appointment and right now we've got four boys' names and four girls' names that we really like."

"Sooo? Tell me!" insisted Tina.

"Okay, okay—for a boy we like Asher Blake, Sullivan Blake—but we'd probably call him Sully…Logan Theodore, and Lukas Alexander."

"Aww I like those names."

"Me too. It's so hard to decide. But I really like Asher and Sully the most. We looked in a baby names book and Asher means 'Blessing', and…that's kind of what this little baby would be to us if he were a boy. Same if he's a she but…you know what I mean." She giggled softly, "But Blake is Sam's middle name, and Sully ties into Sam's love of the movie _Avatar_."

"Oh my God, he sounds like Mike," replied Tina with a roll of her eyes. "So what about girls' names?

"Ooo! Okay so our favorites are Stella Nichelle, Caia Nichelle, Natasha Madelyn and Ava Micaela."

"Hmm…and Nichelle's your middle name, right?"

"Uh-huh…it kind of works for both of us, because it's my middle name, and it tied into my dad and Sam's love of Uhura from the old _Star Trek _series."

"_Star Trek_? _Avatar_?" wondered Tina. "Where'd you pick this guy up at, huh?"

"And _Star Wars_ and comic books," added Mercedes. "He's a dork and a geek."

"But you love him, huh?"

Mercedes beamed a coy smile at the ground while they walked.

"Oh my God—you _do _love him, don't you?" said Tina, causing Mercedes eyes to flash right up to her face. "You do! It's all over your face, Mercedes—tell the truth!"

Mercedes giggled and playfully pushed her friend's arm, "Okay, okay, yes I love him and his dorky self. So what?"

"So it's cute! And he's putting smiles on your face without even being here! So adorable! And I'm glad to see you so happy and in love right now. Next time Mike's in town from Chicago, I want us all to go to Breadstix on a double date so I can meet him!"

"Okay first of all," Mercedes was resisting the urge to roll her eyes, though she was slightly amused as she asked, "Have you been talking to Kurt? And second, I am _not _eating at Breadstix anymore." She picked up Tina's immediate confusion and said, "Another long story."

"Well, we are at the mall. Not a bad time for you to fill me in on Sam and your sudden hatred for Breadstix."

Without a reason to protest, Mercedes took another bite of her hot sauce-dabbled pretzel and went ahead to fill Tina in, beginning with the mix-up at the clinic.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! More is coming soon!**_


	19. Chapter 19

**Mid-February 2012**

Mercedes was working herself into a panic. She hadn't expected her stomach to round out as much as it had over the past couple of weeks. All she was hoping for was to make it through the weekend, and then she wouldn't have to worry about masking her growing baby bump. She managed to get by, sitting out some of the rehearsals with her large purse in her lap; she feigned being sick and not wanting to strain herself before the competition. Tina and Kurt were in charge of costumes, so the alteration in her dress was easy enough to get through without having to come up with a plausible cover-up. And luckily for her, it was Valentine's Day and most of her peers were caught up in their relationships or pursuits of one.

They took a break from their constant rehearsals to perform some love songs. Joe was the last to perform that day, giving a stellar cover of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed" with Tina's piano accompaniment that had everyone clapping for him.

Once glee club was finished, Mercedes headed out to the parking lot and made a lengthy stop to the grocery store on her way home. It seemed like Sam was doing a lot for her, both before and after they reconciled; she saw Valentine's Day as a perfect opportunity to return the affection. She told him over the weekend that the house was hers for all of Valentine's Day through the following morning, so she wanted him to come over that evening. When she got home, she laid out everything she was going to need to make lasagna and took her time preparing it and some garlic bread. The moment it was ready to be layered, she did so but left it on the stovetop to do a bit of cleaning up around the house. She had picked up a box of milk chocolates to leave out on the living room coffee table, and set them there, and after everything looked ready, she returned to the kitchen and sent a text to Sam.

"_Hey Cap3 Seeing you soon right?_"

By the time she got the glass dish inside the oven, her phone jingled and buzzed, indicating a text back.

"_Yep! I'll be there in an hour_," he replied.

After straightening up the kitchen again, she set the timer and headed upstairs for a quick shower. None of her maternity clothes had been extraordinary from her usual wardrobe, so she settled on a red scoop neck jersey bubble top and a nice pair of dark blue skinny jeans to put on after her shower. While standing under the warm water, her hands rubbed over her protruding tummy; she felt the baby kicking away and softly smiled, "You must know your daddy's coming over, huh?"

She shook her head, amused and finished up her shower, dried off and dressed in her bedroom. After throwing a couple bangles on her wrist and the pearl necklace Sam had given her, she brushed her hair out, leaving it straight down for the evening. With one confident glance in the mirror, she decided she looked just fine and headed back downstairs just in time for the oven timer to go off. The smell of baked ricotta, oregano and tomatoes filled the entire kitchen as Mercedes drew back the oven door and pulled out the glass casserole dish. She left it on the stovetop to cool while replacing the empty space on the oven racks with her homemade garlic bread. At the same moment she closed the oven door again, the doorbell rang, triggering a smile upon her face.

"Coming!" she called, making hasty strides through the kitchen and living room to get to the front door.

Sam stood on the doorstep with a bagged guitar strapped to his back and a beautiful bouquet blend of purple orchids and white roses. His hair looked like it was either damp or freshly gelled; either way, Mercedes cast a fond smile at the unusually sleek appearance of his dark blond crop.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Stormy," he said, casting his signature crooked smile at her. He stepped in with one foot, leaning forward to close his arms around her.

Mercedes loved his hugs; his firm biceps made her feel warm and secure and the smell of Irish Spring shower gel always breathed through the chest of his shirts—exactly where her face tended to be when they hugged. She wanted to stay close to him and bask in her growing swoon, but Sam slipped his arms from around her and held out the flowers.

"For you, of course. I know you liked the roses last time I got you flowers but…Kurt was right about purple being your favorite color and…I thought you might like these a little more."

Mercedes gripped the bouquet with both hands; was she ever going to get over blushing every time he gave her something?

His lips pressed against her hot cheek and as he wandered towards the living room she privately answered her own thought. _Nope_.

"You brought your guitar?" she noted, closing the front door with her foot.

"Yep!" Sam called from the living room. "It's part of my Valentine's Day present."

She smiled again, following after him; while he unzipped his guitar bag, Mercedes continued on into the kitchen to find a vase for her flowers. After arranging them in a tall cylindrical vase, she checked on her garlic bread.

"Smells amazing in there—what'd you make?" Sam asked.

"Lasagna," she replied, setting the bread on the stovetop to join the main dish. While it set to cool, she went to one of the overhead cabinets to take down two plates and two glasses to take to the living room.

Sam looked up as she entered the room again and quickly left his guitar on the couch. "Here, let me help."

She smiled softly, "I can carry it."

"And what kind of gentleman would I be if I let you do that?" he challenged with a charming smirk. Mercedes let him relieve her of the dinnerware and as she returned to the kitchen he asked, "Are we eating in here or the dining room?"

"Dining room. My parents will kill me if we get sauce on the rug."

"Dining room it is," he replied, crossing over to the other side of the house where the Jones' spacious dining room was.

Mercedes already had two place mats set at one of the head seats and the seat to its left. Sam set the plates and glasses down and then wandered back, going all the way to the kitchen this time. He helped out by setting the table while Mercedes brought the lasagna and bread in. She had stored a bottle of Sparkling Cider in the freezer earlier that afternoon and was thankful to know that it was perfectly chilled by the time everything was ready for them. After opening the bottle, she carried it and a small Tupperware container with her to the dining room to sit with Sam.

"What's in the tub?" he asked, pulling out her chair for her.

She smiled and shook an index finger at him, "You'll see. For now, all you need to know is that it's one half of dessert."

Sam arched a brow at her, along with a smirk, "You know how wrong that all sounds?"

Right away, Mercedes' cheeks flushed again.

Sam chuckled at her obvious embarrassment, "I'm kidding. I think we're both old enough to crack a sex joke here and there, right?"

Mercedes pinched her lips together, averting her gaze to the food. "Hey we better dig in before it gets cold. Cold lasagna's kind of gross."

It wasn't a mystery to her, why Sam was now giving her a strange look, but to her personal gratification, he didn't question her sudden topic change. She dished out some lasagna for both of them and poured some cider into their glasses, letting Sam decide how much garlic bread he wanted.

"Hope you like it," she said.

He smiled, "I'm sure I will. It all smells and looks really great, Storm."

She nodded back with a faint smile and dove right in with her first bite, but she could feel Sam's eyes on her again. When she glanced up at him, he looked like he was trying to solve a riddle.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Well, I was just about to ask you that."

Her brows shot up, feigning naivety.

"Are cracking sex jokes something you're not okay with?" he wondered aloud.

"It's not…" she was struggling to find the right way to explain. In the months she had come to know Sam, she had never brought up her lack of sexual experiences, and the consequence it cost her at the start of her senior year.

"I just don't have a good history when it comes to joking about sex."

"Well…what do you mean?"

She bit on her lip, poking the prongs of her fork at the top layer of lasagna. "It's not something that I laugh about but…" Right away, flashes of her dreams popped up to the forefront of her mind, causing her to grow anxious about what she was about to say.

Sam's green hues were moving restlessly over her face. "Is it insecurities?" he guessed. "'Cause I'll be the first to tell you if I have to be—lots of people think confidence is sexy, and _that_ is something you're definitely not short of." He smirked softly at her while his hands were suddenly animate with his words. "I mean when you did your solo for _Chicago_ a few months back, I—"

"That's not exactly it," she interrupted, though her lips twitched the faintest of smiles when she caught Sam licking his lips during his _Chicago_ recollection. "It's just…at the beginning of my senior year, some nasty jokes and rumors were going around the school about me, because I'm a virgin."

She sucked in an audible breath, following her admission, bracing herself for either an amused or stunned reaction from Sam.

"Really?" he asked, after having only raised his brows at her.

Mercedes nodded.

"Man that's something I will not miss about McKinley. People love a good rumor and will treat you like garbage for it. That happened to me my senior year."

Her brows furrowed, "People made jokes about you being a virgin?"

Sam chuckled once, dryly. "No. Not for that. I was homeless at the time. My family was living in a motel and some people from glee club had seen Quinn leaving the motel; they thought she and I were hooking up behind Finn's back and it started a real bad fight between Finn, Quinn and I. Finn and I almost weren't friends again after that but…" he shook his head, "I got pissed about…everything. It was my senior year and I didn't have a home; I didn't know what was going to happen once I graduated, and the whole situation was putting a huge strain on my parents. On top of that, the affair rumors started up…I lost it and snapped at everyone."

Mercedes had one hand over her lips from what she was hearing. "Sam I'm so sorry," she murmured from behind her hand in a tone that made it seem like she had some part in the rumor.

Sam smiled softly at her and shook his head, "Don't be. It's in the past now, and my family's fine. But what about you? The rumor wasn't why you wanted to graduate early, was it?"

She shook her head, "Not entirely. It died down after a couple months, but…being pregnant now I am pretty glad I graduated early. I'm not ashamed of being a mom-to-be, but after all the virginity rumors…coming to all my classes every day with a baby bump would have just kicked up nasty lies about me all over again. That's what I don't want to deal with right now. If I weren't pregnant Id' feel a lot stronger about handling the jerks, but…I know I stress out easily, and I don't wanna do anything that might trigger that."

She saw Sam's hand reach out to her and she met him halfway, closing her fingers around his.

"I just hate it though—that people make you feel like being a virgin is such a terrible thing. I know for some people, it's for religious reasons. For others, it's because of pure fear. For me, I just haven't been ready to give myself to someone like that yet. Sure, my beliefs are part of that, but I'm not saying that I'd necessarily wait until I got married. I just…I think it's something that I want to give away so easily."

Sam seemed to be attentive to her the entire time but she chuckled softly a few times. "I'm sorry—I wasn't trying to go off on this tangent. All I'm trying to say is when I do have sex, I want it to feel right, and know that it's with the right person."

She couldn't help giving a pointed gaze at him but Sam merely nodded and leaned over the table's corner to press his lips to her forehead. "Just so you know…I can and will respect that about you." His thumb started on slow circles over the back of her hand, "Mercedes?"

Her rich chocolate hues were fixed on his sage pair once he said her actual name. Since earning the nickname of Ororo/Storm, she had only heard him call her by her actual name when he was deeply serious.

"I wanted to tell you something…I've been wanting to actually," he admitted with a simper.

Mercedes' heart-shaped lips curled and she waited patiently.

His eyes flickered away from her for only a second but once his eyes were back on her, he said, "Don't feel pushed to say it back but…I love you, Mercedes."

The look on her face was caught somewhere in between shock and ecstasy.

"I love you," he repeated, "And…if I happen to be that lucky guy that you trust completely like that, I promise I won't pressure you into anything you don't want."

The certainty in his voice ebbed Mercedes towards misty-eyed gaze. Her lips fell the slightest pout; she couldn't believe how absolutely amazing Sam was, and it made her heart swell to hear him tell her that he loved her, _twice_. Her eyes fled heavenward while she dabbed her wet lashes with her finger, but her hand quickly went to her stomach with a breathy giggle.

"What?" Sam asked.

She brought their intertwined hands to her stomach so he could be let in on what was amusing her. In her mind, the timing of the baby's kicks was like a persistent gesture; _Come on, Mommy—say something_! She thought to herself.

Sam had a different interpretation however, when he smiled at her tummy and said, "Kid's probably trying to say, 'I'm hungry in here!'" His lips spread into a soft grin. "And you said so yourself that cold lasagna's no good."

His hand kindly slipped away from her belly so that he could resume eating. Mercedes picked up her fork to do the same, while quickly pulling herself together again. As she held a bite to her lips, she lowered it, simultaneously turning her head towards Sam again.

"I love you too, Sam."

She kept her eye son him, watching him look back up at her so she could go on, "I was gonna tell you tonight too. You've been really good to me, from the moment we met. And I know I didn't always show it but…I feel really blessed to have you in my life." She scooted back in her chair and leaned across the table corner like he had done earlier; instead of kissing his forehead, she went right for his lips, caressing them tenderly with her pair. Her cheeks warmed when Sam's long fingers slid up her jaw to cup her cheek. She smiled beneath the kiss and slowly pulled away, giggling softly again from the baby's persistent kicks.

"Okay, okay," She softly said. "I think you were right about the baby being hungry."

Sam chuckled, tucking his lips inside his mouth as his attention went back to his own plate.

* * *

Following dinner, Sam insisted on clearing the table, while encouraging Mercedes to go relax in the living room. She grabbed the Tupperware container and took it with her to the other room. Before making herself comfortable on the long couch, she pressed a switch, and seconds later, and electric fire appeared in the hearth of their fireplace. Her body was then positioned on the couch, facing the fireplace with one leg bent up on the cushion and the other foot touching the carpet. She tugged the lid off of the Tupperware as she heard Sam emerge from the kitchen with his long sleeves rolled up to the bend of his elbows.

"That was fast," she commented, following his trek to the couch with her eyes.

He shrugged, "Rinsing some plates and forks and throwing saran wrap over the leftovers didn't take much time."

She continued watching him as he picked up his glossy tan guitar and told her, "Now that you've fed me that awesome V-Day dinner, I'm gonna sing you your Valentine's Day gi—"

His words halted, causing Mercedes' brows to pull together. "What?"

She heard Sam sniff the air and then a grin spread on her face when she saw his eyes lock on her Tupperware container.

"That smells like your peanut butter cookies…"

"Well I _hope_ so," she sassed, still grinning at him. "I made them before I went up to the school."

She giggled when he craned his neck towards her with a wide open mouth. "Can I have one?" he asked but he quickly leaned away again, "No wait—no I have to be good otherwise I won't sing this song right with peanut butter goodness in my mouth."

Mercedes filled the room with another peal of giggles, "You dork."

"But you love me," he retorted with a wink. "Let's not forget that."

He knew exactly how to trigger bashful smiles and soft giggles and hearty laughs from her, more often than not. "Alright, Captain…what are you serenading me with?"

He returned her smile and said, "Well...I kinda realized you've never heard me sing before, and well...this seemed like a good song for me to debut my wicked-awesome pipes to you with." His fingers formed a pair of guns pointed at her while he clicked his teeth twice.

Mercedes thought he looked like a cheesy car salesman when he did that, and she nearly fell over laughing at the image.

"Okay, okay Giggle Meister—have a listen," ordered Sam with a confident smirk. He strummed a few chords on his guitar. Mercedes didn't recognize the song until he opened his mouth however.

"_It's a little bit funny—this feeling inside. I'm not one of those who can easily hiiide. Don't have much money but, but if I did—I'd buy a big house where we both could live. If I was a sculptor, but then again no. Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show. I know it's not much but it's the best I can do; my gift is my song and this one's for you_. "

At first, all she could think of was one of her favorite musical films, Moulin Rouge. But Sam's sincerity in the words he sang and the notes he played had her losing herself in the music. She tried to contain her smile but it was a battle she was quickly losing.

"_And you can tell everybody this is your song. It may be quite simple but now that it's done…I hope you don't mind—I hope you don't mind that I put down in words, how wonderful life is while you're in the world_…"

She shifted slightly on the couch to get a little more comfortable and lightly swayed back and forth to the twinkling strums on his guitar.

"_I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss, well a few of the verses well they've got me quite cross. Well the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song. It's for people like you that keep it turned on. So excuse me for forgetting but these things I do. You see I've forgotten if they're brown—I think it's true. Anyway the thing is—what I really mean, yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen…And you can tell everybody that this your song. It may be quite simple but now that it's done...I hope you don't mind—I hope you don't mind that I put down in woorrrrds…how wonderful life is while you're in the world…I hope you don't mind—I hope you don't mind that I put down in worrrrds…how wonderful life is while you're in the world_…"

Mercedes' hands freed up from the Tupperware container so that she could clap for him. "Sam that was so beautiful." Her smile was still on her face as she said this, and she watched Sam lean in again. Her hand reached for the Tupperware container but Sam stole her lips unexpectedly. She kept one hand over the container while the other hand went to his stubble-coated jaw. They kissed a bit longer than before, taking turns molding their mouths to one another until Sam pulled away for air.

Mercedes grinned softly at him, drawing in a deep breath of her own.

As Sam let the air leave his lungs again, he sighed happily, causing more giggles from Mercedes as he said, "Okay! I'm ready for cookies." He lifted the guitar from his lap, adjusted himself on the couch with one leg up along all the cushions so that his body was turned towards Mercedes. After she stuck a cookie in his mouth, Sam lifted one finger and bent it a few times in a come-hither gesture. When she scooted close enough, his strong muscular arms came around her middle, inviting her to lean back against his chest.

This was Mercedes' favorite. She loved cuddling into Sam, and as tired as she was quickly becoming, in his arms was exactly where she would want to fall asleep.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews!  
Song lyrics credited to Elton John. Song title: "Your Song" with slight alterations to the lyrics "You see I've forgotten if they're green or if they're blue", for the sake of making it fit to Mercedes' brown hues.**_


	20. Chapter 20

**_Thanks a TON to everyone who reviewed or PM'd me with baby name suggestions! I hope you guys like the top 4 ones Mercedes and Sam are mulling over. And to answer someone's question (I can't recall who, specifically right now), yes some of the names were suggested to me and some were ones I already had jotted down. I played around with first & middle combinations and voila! Anyway, enjoy this next chapter! I'll be posting Chapter 21 very soon! After some sleep! Haha. Enjoy!_  
**

**February 2012**

"Just go with the yellow one."

"They're _both_ yellow," muttered Sam. He and Puck were standing in Home Depot with Abby sitting in the child's seat of the shopping cart. In his hands were two paint sample cards with similar shades of a pale yellow. One was somewhat lighter than the other and Sam had stayed in the aisle, trying to decide on the right one while Puck finished up his shopping with Abby.

"In the time it's taken you just to whittle down your options to those two colors, I've already got everything on _both_ our lists. Just pick one, Cap! Damn, it's not a life-changing decision!"

"But I want it to be the right one," he retorted, scowling intently at the two samples.

"Or better yet…" Puck ignored him and went on to ask, "Why don't you just wait 'til you know what you're having and then you can pick pink or blue?"

Sam shook his head, "No—the doctor told us last time that we have to start getting the room together, and Storm and I are going to Babies 'R Us to look at cribs. Besides, we don't wanna do the whole 'pink or blue' thing for the room. She says it's too typical."

"But yellow's not typical? Listen, the kid's not gonna be here 'til June, right? You could do other stuff to get ready and then maybe at your next appointment you'll know what you're having. Or just take Mercedes with you to choose the colors tomorrow morning but whatever you're gonna do, make a decision fast. I needa get Abby some dinner and _you_ need to get to the high school if you're gonna watch Ororo perform."

"Alright, alright," Sam rushed and ended up putting both samples back in exchanged for pale apple green sample.

Puck gave Sam a long, judgmental stare, threw his hands up and pushed the cart—with his daughter—down the aisle, muttering how ludicrous his friend was.

"What?" Sam strode after him in innocent wonder, "Green's less cliché, and still gender neutral right?"

"I dunno," Puck quickly fussed back.

They wandered back to get a couple buckets of the apple color mixed, and then went to check out.

Puck dropped Sam off at his place and before he drove on home he said, "Tell Storm to tear up that stage tonight."

Sam smiled, "Will do. Thanks for the ride, Stark."

"Later, bro. And stop over-thinking everything about this baby room!"

Before Sam could respond, Puck was driving away in his Tundra. He shook his head after his friend and headed inside to put everything up in the would-be nursery, and then darted into his bedroom to throw on a warmer shirt before heading off to McKinley to watch his girlfriend perform.

* * *

"You look fine."

"Yeah the three pairs of Spanx really helped, plus black is already a slimming color."

"Thanks," Mercedes replied to her two closest friends; the three were huddled into a corner talking quietly amongst themselves while the rest of the glee club was scattered about the choir room, talking or warming up their vocal cords. Tina and Kurt had put together a black, gold and red ensemble for Regionals—the girls wore black, knee-high dresses with gold belts, gold head bands and red faux satin material beneath the outer skirt. The boys on the other hand, had a more simplistic look of black shirts, black slacks and gold suspenders and bow ties.

"How do you feel?" Tina asked.

"I'm okay…I just am kinda second-guessing three pairs of Spanx. I feel like I might pee myself."

Kurt snorted and Tina swatted his arm, "It's not funny!" she hissed.

"I know—trust me I wouldn't laugh if she actually did but…she said it so casually, I couldn't help it."

Mercedes shook her head but smiled a bit too, "Thankfully we're finally performing soon. Then I can get _out _of all this and tell everyone what's up."

"Don't look now," murmured Tina—the only one of the three who was facing the rest of their group. "Hurricane Berry is staring at us."

Kurt and Mercedes turned to look anyway and saw Rachel staring right back at them with a stony expression. She was in her own group, talking amongst the other New Directions members; occasionally the others she was talking to gave fleeting glances at them, but her eyes were locked on them.

"Boy, she is just itching to say something to us, isn't she?"

Mercedes chuckled once, shortly, "I think she's just ready to end her silent protest already."

"Well that's just fine by me," spoke Tina, "because when she opens her mouth after we win, I'll be first in line to shove some Humble Pie down her throat."

Kurt and Mercedes giggled, but their amusement died down when Mr. Schue strode in with his anxious game face on.

"Alright guys—we're up. Let's circle up."

The various members abandoned their respective places and formed a wide circle in the middle of the choir room while Mr. Schue went on to say, "You guys are gonna be great. You've been working hard, practiced hard, and you've had some great inspiration from one another. Just go out there, and enjoy yourselves." He looked around, receiving smiles and nods from his students, and then his eyes went to Mercedes. "Anything you wanna add, Mercedes?"

She shook her head, "I think you covered it, Mr. Schue. Y'all know we're amazing. Let's just go out there and show it to the judges."

More head bobs and smiles happened and then everyone brought their hands in the middle for their climactic, "_Aaaaaaaa_mazing!" huddle break.

They all started to leave the choir room but Rachel spoke up, claiming Mercedes' attention.

"Mercedes, I need to talk to you."

A feeling of déjà vu washed over Mercedes. She rolled her eyes before turning back to face her brunette rival. Kurt and Tina lingered at the door for a moment, but carried on without her once she gave them an assuring nod.

As she faced Rachel again, Rachel rushed right up to stand in front of her and said, "I want that solo, Mercedes. You know I'm a better singer than Tina, and I know we're going to lose if you let her perform it!"

"Rachel why are you so desperate to have this solo? Why are you trying to take this chance from Tina? It's her senior year too you know."

"That doesn't matter! What matters is, we're not going to Nationals if you let her sing that solo."

Mercedes rolled her eyes; she knew whatever conversation Rachel wanted to have with her wasn't going to be a tranquil one. "I'm not taking the solo away from Tina, just because you don't believe she can do it. And how many times do I have to tell you—we already voted the solo to Tina. Let it go already, Rachel!"

Rachel clenched her jaw and when Mercedes turned to leave, Rachel's posture became vehement and indignant as she said, "If you don't, I'll tell."

Mercedes' brows furrowed, "Tell what?"

"I know your secret, Mercedes and if you don't tell Tina to back down from the solo, I'll tell everyone in Glee club that you're pregnant."

Right away, Mercedes froze, standing in the open doorway. She slowly turned around to face Rachel again.

"And don't deny it either," continued Rachel. "I know you are. I know it's why you've been acting 'sick' lately and sitting out on practice. Everyone else just thinks you're getting lazy and careless because you're already done with school. They talk about you behind your back; you're lucky I haven't told them the truth already."

Mercedes was the one clenching her jaw now, listening to Rachel blackmail her. But she masked her shock and did her best not to give Rachel the satisfaction of appearing angry. "You know what? Go ahead and tell them. I was planning to tell everyone after we win anyway."

"So what do you think's gonna happen after you tell, huh? Do you think everyone's just gonna congratulate you and be happy for you? Mercedes you're a _pregnant teen_; no one that matters at this school has ever been nice about that kinda thing before. As far as most of this school's concerned, you'd be just as trashy as the girls on MTV."

Her control over her anger was slipping; it was taking everything in her not to march right up to Rachel and slap her right across the face. And it didn't help that Rachel was now walking towards her again. Yet Rachel's comments on members the glee club talking about her behind her back, and the school's distaste for pregnant teens was making her re-think telling everyone about her pregnancy tonight.

"Give me the solo, and step down as captain after Regionals, or else I'm telling."

Angered even further, Mercedes glared darkly and said, "Over my dead body. Now you have to the count of one to get out of my face before I dance all over yours with my fists."

Rachel pinched her lips together in a thin line and then let her own sweet calm overcome her. "Fine." She cast a sugary smile at Mercedes and stepped around her, heading off to catch up with the rest of the group.

When Mercedes had a moment to herself, she placed a hand to her stomach, drew in deep breaths try and calm herself down. Her worries of the glee club's reaction was making her anxious now, and while she had a good idea of who was talking about her behind her back, it still upset her that they were doing it.

"Mercedes! Come on!"

She jumped and turned to see Mr. Schue standing in the hallway with alert eyes on her.

For now, she was going to have to push aside her distressing thoughts and get through the performance. Whether she was going to have control of what would happen after Regionals, she didn't know, but she thought to herself, _I'll be damned if I give _anything _Rachel Berry wants again_.

She pulled herself together, trying to turn her upset and stress into usable passion as she quickly followed Mr. Schue down the hall and to the auditorium.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! This chapter was intentionally short, for the events to come in the next one. Any predictions on what's to come? Let me know!**_


	21. Chapter 21

**February 2012**

Sam found a seat in time to catch Vocal Adrenaline's final number—Cherry Poppin' Daddies' "Zoot Suit Riot". It seemed that Sunshine was doing a good job keeping up Vocal Adrenaline's high standards and pristine performance reputation. They jived their way through the number and finished with a bow as the crowd gave them a standing ovation. Only a few minutes had passed before the MC announced the New Directions. He sat up a little straighter in his seat as some of the glee club members took the stage. He noticed it was all the boys but he chuckled softly when he realized they were performing an N*SYNC number.

When the number ended, he clapped along with the rest of the crowd, but found himself smiling the moment he spotted Mercedes' silhouette take the dimly-lit stage. The second pop number was entertaining but Sam's eyes were mostly on Mercedes from the beginning of the number, right through the New Directions' finale of "Got To Give It Up". His lips stretched into a smile at their choice for a funk number, and was amused by the various moves executed for their Soul Train. By the end of their full performance, everyone in the audience was on their feet, clapping and cheering for the New Directions, including Sam. He cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered, "Wooooo!" above the other cheers. When he caught Mercedes' eye, he smirked and blew a kiss at her.

Now came the less exciting part—the judges had twenty minutes to deliberate and determine which of the three glee clubs was going to Chicago in May. After a minute of waiting, he took out his phone and moved his thumbs across the screen.

"_You looked beautiful up there, Stormy_."

He hit send and leaned back in his seat, finding himself skimming through the photos on his phone. There was one that had been a favorite of his; while sitting behind his desk, he caught Mercedes mid-smile during Puck's brief rant on who would win in a fight—Batman or Superman.

"_Bruce Wayne's got the money to hire someone to find Krypton, bring back some Kryptonite and embed it in his bat suit. Boom—fight's over_!" Puck had said.

She had laughed and told him he should make a mini comic about it.

"_Way ahead of you, Ororo_," replied Puck. "_It's in my secret stash_."

"_Secret stash_?" she'd echoed, cocking her head at him.

"Yeah," Sam had joined the discussion after admiring the photo on his phone. "_We'd made little comics on some of our favorite super heroes and villains back in high school but…a lot of them aren't Marvel so we keep 'em to ourselves_."

They had continued on working, but Sam would frequently gaze at that photo, adoring the candidness of her gorgeous smile. Some time later, his phone buzzed in his hand and he returned to his text messages to read Mercedes' response.

"_Thank you, Captain ;) Love you! See you in a bit_!"

He smiled again. It felt nice to have his feelings out in the open and it was even better that she reciprocated them, just as her father told him, weeks ago.

* * *

"Oh my gosh you guys—we were amazing!" gushed Sugar.

All of the New Directions had filtered back into the choir room to wait, with the exception of Mercedes, who had excused herself to the nearest bathroom.

"I don't know," spoke one of the other freshmen girls. "Vocal Adrenaline killed that Zoot Suit song…what if we lose to them?"

"We won't," spoke a confident Joe Hart. "And even if we do—we had a good time, right? Mr. Schue said that's what's important. Right Mr. Schue?"

Several of the students looked to their teacher, who was rather terrible at hiding his feelings. He looked as wary as the freshmen girl seemed to feel. However, when he spoke, he told them, "That's right." Deep down, going to Nationals was what mattered most to _him_, but he knew it was important—as an educator—to say the right things to his students.

Artie spoke up, waving off the debate, "Well _I_ for one had fun. Win or lose, the throwback theme was boss."

Tina fanned herself while smiling, "You guys were like N*SYNC 2-point-oh up there. I think I saw a couple girls jump out of their seat and wanted to rush the stage."

A bunch of the girls and guys chuckled at her remark, but she noticed she was getting icy looks from Rachel. She found it easy to ignore as Mercedes entered the choir room with her head down, smiling at her phone.

Tina flitted over and asked, "Are you texting _Saaam_?"

Mercedes giggled, "_Yeeeesss_?"

Tina's lips spread, "I still want the four of us to go on a double date when Mike comes next month for his Spring Break—and not to Breadstix. We'll go to Panera or Applebee's or something instead."

"Did I hear someone say something about a double date?" asked Kurt who sidled up to the girls.

Mercedes and Tina were both smiling at him now. "Tina mentioned it," Mercedes told him while slipping her phone back in her bra.

"Can we make it a triple? And my vote's for Panera. They have a chicken Caesar salad that I love."

"Ooo and their bread's so yummy!" added Tina.

"I've never eaten there before," Mercedes admitted.

Kurt and Tina gave her a bug-eyed look, "What?"

"Okay, we're going there," Kurt decided. "When's Mike coming so we can make this official?"

"In a month," Tina quickly answered. "He'll be in town the whole week."

"Perfect! I mean Blaine and I did the double date with Mercedes and Captain McDreamy and let me just say—keeper!" He beamed while Tina let a soft squeal escape her lips.

"I can't wait to meet him! What's he look like, Mercedes?"

Mercedes smiled, biting her lip as she thought of how to describe Sam without getting herself hot and bothered in front of her friends. "Well…he's tall…dark blond hair…muscular."

"That man has a six pack—I know it," interjected Kurt.

Mercedes rolled her eyes, "Will you stop?" She chuckled, shaking her head at Kurt and went on, "He's got green eyes and he does this really adorable crooked little smile when he's really, really happy about something."

"Ooo, do you have a picture on your phone? Does he have a Facebook or something?" wondered Tina.

"Yeeees he has a Facebook," said Mercedes as she fiddled with her phone again. "But he doesn't use it a whole lot. It's mostly to promote his comics and sometimes keep in touch with friends in Kentucky and Tennessee."

"Ooo," Tina grinned, "a southern boy, huh?"

"A southern _man_," corrected Kurt. "Seriously, Tina. He is a _man_."

Tina laughed, "With the way you talk about him, Kurt, you'd have us thinking _you _were the one dating him!"

"Right?" giggled Mercedes.

Kurt shrugged, unabashed, "I'm appreciating my best friend's boyfriend for his good looks and gentlemanly charm. Is that so criminal?"

Mercedes shook her head, "Don't worry—you're harmless for the most part, Ivory." One hand left her phone to wiggle her fingertips with Kurt's, and then she pulled up a picture she took of Sam and Abby one day when they and Puck took an accidental break to play with the littlest Puckerman. Sam had Abby in his arms and was puckering his lips to her cheek while casting his green hues on Mercedes.

"Awwww!" Tina squealed but quickly quieted when Mercedes gave her a look of warning. "Sorry," she whispered, "but he is pretty cute, and this picture's so adorable! I bet he's gonna be a good Daddy."

Mercedes lowered her phone away, giving the photo one more glance before sticking her phone back in her purse. The next words to leave her mouth were half in response to Tina's comment and half spoken to herself. "He's going to be a great Daddy."

* * *

The three kept chatting until the Master of Ceremonies came to inform them that they were ready to announce the winner. Mercedes gripped Tina and Kurt's hands, beaming an anxious but excited smile at the two. They each gave her hand a gentle squeeze back and headed out with the rest of the New Directions to take to the stage again.

Once under the warm stage lights again, the New Directions huddled in between Vocal Adrenaline and Oral Intensity. Mercedes eyes scanned the crowd again to find Sam and when she spotted him, she smiled and gave him a flirty wink. Kurt playfully nudged her and she grinned at her best friend.

"You're so not subtle," he whispered to her.

"So?" she whispered back. "That's not what I'm trying to be subtle about right now. And speaking of…I can't wait to get these damn Spanx off—my bladder's gonna burst."

Tina sniggered and Kurt rolled his eyes at her. But they settled down once one of the judges stepped up to the mic.

"First, I'd like to congratulate these three show choirs for making it this far. And now…in 3rd place…Oral Intensity!"

The crowd clapped and a few cheered as they were rewarded with a two-foot tall trophy. As the crowd died down, the judge went on.

"And now, the 2012 Regionals Champion…"

Mercedes resumed squeezing Tina and Kurt's hands. She still felt confident in the New Directions, but the repeated certainty in her mind didn't keep her heart from beating faster than normal.

"From Carmel High, Vocal Adrenaline!"

The audience went wild. Vocal Adrenaline celebrated loudly and the New Directions took their loss in silence. Mercedes watched as Mr. Schue was handed the three-foot second place trophy. She looked back out into the crowd and saw Sam standing with a weak smile that translated to, "_It's okay_. _You were still amazing to me_."

She returned the faint smile as she stepped off the risers and headed back to the choir room with her fellow glee club members; Mr. Schuester stayed behind to shake hands with the other show choir coaches. As soon as they all reached the choir room, she was prepared to get her things to change but Rachel rounded on her, shouting in front of everybody.

"I told you this was going to happen! But you didn't listen to me!"

"Rachel we didn't lose because Tina got the solo you wanted. We lost because the judges thought Vocal Adrenaline was be—"

"We lost because you're an incompetent leader, Mercedes! And the New Directions deserve someone better. Someone that's not gonna go sleep around and get knocked up during the school year."

Mercedes froze as the whole room fell deafly silent. She ground her teeth while simultaneously clenching her fists. If Rachel were any more wrong about her, God himself might smite her where she stood.

"Yeah, I'm sure you guys didn't know that but it's true!" announced Rachel as she looked around at the rest of the glee club. But she turned back to the curvaceous teen as she said, "Mercedes _is_ pregnant. I heard her admit it! It's why she's been sitting out of practices lately. It's why she's been looking bigger than usual, and it's _exactly _why she hasn't been able to lead this glee club properly!"

That had done it. She withstood a lot of Rachel's snide remarks in the past but she pushed Mercedes to her limit, the moment she began her barrage of accusations, just a few seconds ago. In two strides Mercedes was close enough to smack her, and she did. She threw all of her weight into her heavy hand, causing Rachel's head to whip to the side while a loud "WHACK!" sound filled the room. Rachel shrieked and some of the other members gasped in shock at Mercedes' lost composure.

She geared up to take another swing at Rachel's face, but Tina rushed over and firmly held her back, "Mercedes, don't!"

Mercedes was shaking with rage.

"How could you, Rachel?" Kurt wondered with quiet fury.

"Because she's been bringing this team down_ all_ year," shrieked Rachel with a hand cupped to her cheek. "It's time someone did something about it!"

"Bringing this team down?" Mercedes mocked, outraged. "Right 'cause that's why my suggestion to do _Chicago_ as the musical was such a failure. That's we didn't make it past Sectionals? That's why everyone seemed to be having a good time so far this year except _you_?"

All eyes were going back and forth between Rachel and Mercedes. Rachel hadn't moved her hand away from her cheek and Mercedes looked like she was going to yank away from Tina and tackle Rachel.

"This team would've been better if you weren't captain, Mercedes," said Rachel. "And I'm not the only one who knows so."

Mercedes put her hands on her hips, "Oh really?"

"_Yes_, really!" Rachel turned back to look around at the others, "Everyone who thinks we would've gone to Nationals under _my_ leadership, raise your hand."

Mercedes watched with private shock as a few hands started sprouting up. Soon, half the club had their hands hesitantly rising towards the ceiling; the ones to fold their arms or keep their hands lowered were Artie, Joe, Kurt, Tina and Sugar. Mercedes could tell Artie was gritting his teeth behind his settled lips as he glared at the raised hands. Joe looked sad and Kurt and Tina were shaking their heads.

Mercedes coughed a breathy chuckle and nodded her head a couple of times, "Okay…you know what? Yeah, Big Mouth over here's right—I am pregnant, and not that it was anyone else's business but I was going to tell you guys tonight." She turned deliberately to Rachel, "But thanks for beating me to it." She then let her eyes wander over the rest of the group, "And thanks to all you guys who had so much confidence in me, just because I hadn't been feeling well. I'm glad it mattered to you guys that despite my schoolwork, my health and my life outside of this club, I still managed to be here every single day to help some of you with choreo or vocal runs when I didn't have to be."

"We don't need you anymore," Rachel decided.

Mercedes stepped to her but quickly halted, trying to put her temper in check. She swallowed back the bubbling rage and threw a blatantly fake smile at her rival. "You're right, Rachel. Apparently you're always right. You guys _don't_ need me anymore—especially since there's no more competitions to prepare for. And I sure as hell don't need to keep coming somewhere I'm not wanted. You want Rachel as your captain?" Mercedes put her hands up, "Congratulations. Enjoy your lame duck leadership, Berry. I'm out."

Battling the hot angry tears that were trying to swell in her eyes, Mercedes turned her back on the group—turned away from Joe and Sugar's stunned faces; away from Artie's quiet yet apparent disappoint, and away from Kurt's grimace and Tina's deep frown as she loosened her grip on her arm. Mercedes had nothing left to give to the group. She felt like she was the one who had been smacked in the face—first with Rachel following through on her threat, and then discovering that some who she considered friends now revealed their true feelings about her leadership as glee club captain.

She scooped up her duffle and purse, and left the choir room without a backwards glance. Behind her, she could hear an argument ensue between Kurt, Tina, Artie, Rachel and some of the girls who had raised their hands. She didn't catch much of what was said since everyone was talking over everyone, but she didn't truly care. Her vision blurred slightly though not enough to keep her from making out Sam's silhouette coming down the hall—first at a normal walking pace and then he was running towards her.

"Mercedes? What happened?"

She shook her head, letting the warm tears trickle down her cheeks; when he reached her, she felt his strong, comforting arms close around her—protecting her. Mercedes buried her face in his chest and softly pled, "Can we please…go?" Her parents had brought her to the school earlier, before leaving town for the weekend, so Sam was her ride home. She shook her head a few more times against the fabric of his shirt; letting herself guiltlessly breathe in his Irish Spring aroma to put her in a happier place. Right now, she needed that more than anything. Rage, hurt, and disappointment were ruling her mind, making her desperate for the comfort Sam was now providing her.

They stood in the hallway embracing one another for an immeasurable amount of time. Sam only let her go long enough to relieve her of her duffle bag and when she looked up at him, she felt his dry, thick-skinned thumb move tenderly along her trails of tears. Mercedes closed her eyes, sniffled and sighed a ragged breath, lolling her head into his open palm.

"Come stay at my place tonight," she heard Sam quietly suggest.

She opened her eyes again, looking directly into his pair. "What?"

His thumb moved in light circles along her cheek, "Come stay at my place tonight. Your parents aren't coming back in town until Monday, and I wouldn't feel right leaving you alone when you're so upset."

"I'll be fine," she rasped.

Sam shook his head, "I'm not gonna force you to come over, but I really do think you shouldn't be alone. Whatever just happened in there…" his sentence trailed off as he nodded towards the choir room but his eyes came back to her pair. "I don't wanna see you carry it around when you could talk to me about it."

Mercedes grimaced; he was really too good to her sometimes. With another deep breath and a shaky sigh, Mercedes leaned back into him and started walking down the hall. "Just one night."

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! Sorry this took so long to get posted/published; I hate writing out angst. Grrr. Anyway..more is coming soon! **_


	22. Chapter 22

_**Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors in this chapter. I was eager to get it posted. Anyway..enjoy!**_

**February 2012**

During their drive—with a brief stop at the Jones' home—Sam managed to calm Mercedes down enough for her to explain what happened. He held her hand while she pacified the last of her tears. "You were right to say what you did—about not needing to be somewhere you're not wanted." He cut the engine, unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to fully face her; he hadn't seen Mercedes look this sad in the months he'd come to know her.

"I know I can't make everything right but…" he took hold of both her hands, "what can I do to help you feel better?"

She shook her head at him and smiled weakly, "You're already doing a lot, Sam."

He mocked her weak smile, knowing that his presence alone wasn't enough. For a few seconds he cast a pensive gaze at nothing in particular, and then he looked back up at her, "Did you grab some movies when we went by your house?"

Mercedes nodded, and as he reached towards the seat behind hers and grabbed her duffle bag for her, she told him, "I don't know if I can stay awake through a movie though."

"If you're tired, that's fine," his tone was genuine, "but…you haven't eaten dinner yet have you?"

"No," she sighed, "I haven't eaten since lunch, and I've been at the high school since 4 but I don't really feel like eating…my head hurts, my feet are hurting and—"

Sam raised his hand to place a couple of fingertips over her lips. He waited for Mercedes to calm down again before lowering fingers from her face, "Your head's probably hurting because you're hungry. And don't worry about your feet and back." He leaned across the arm rest between them and pressed a kiss to her temple, "I'm gonna take care of you, Stormy."

She shivered, which hadn't escaped Sam's notice as he drew away from her. "Let's go inside. I'll put my master chef skills to work."

Mercedes giggled softly while opening her door, "Master chef skills? Sam the only thing I've seen you cook is peanut butter and jelly."

"Shhh! You want the whole neighborhood to hear my secret PB&J recipe?" he asked while getting out also. More peals of his girlfriend's laughs brought a smile to his face—a real smile. He took her hand and held it until they were inside the living room where he set her bag down.

"Alright you get started on your top secret cuisine," teased Mercedes, "I gotta go to the bathroom."

Sam nodded and wandered into the kitchen, shedding his hoodie on the way. In truth, he hadn't been the greatest of cooks; most of his abilities were limited to cereal and sandwiches, unless it came with clear concise instructions. His ex had been the cook between the two of them and since their break-up he mostly stuck to eating out, ordering pizza or accepting invites to friends' houses on occasion. He had hoped to impress Mercedes with some spaghetti earlier that week for Valentine's Day but he was spared when she told him she was planning to cook. Tonight, he decided to play it safe and keep it simple with good old-fashioned peanut butter and jelly. He pulled the bread loaf to the edge of the counter, retrieved the jar of peanut butter from one of the overhead cabinets, and then went to the fridge to grab some strawberry jelly and a bag of grapes as a snack.

With four slices of bread laid out on a plate, he grabbed a knife and started to smear peanut butter across one. He heard the muffled flushing sound from the downstairs bathroom, followed by the door opening as he picked up another slice to cover.

"You know I was just teasing about the PB&J, right?" asked Mercedes as she entered the kitchen.

Sam looked over his shoulder at her, "Well I _hope_ so since that's what I'm making." He grinned and showed her the slice of bread in his hand but his grin faded at her confused expression. "What?"

She shook her head while approaching him, "You got peanut butter on your splint."

He looked down and sure enough a small glob of peanut butter was stuck to the bend of his finger splint. Before he could proceed to wipe it off on his jeans, Mercedes took hold of his hand and wiped it off with a single swipe of her finger. He started to cast her a grateful smile but instead he found himself staring down at his nose where she'd moved the peanut butter glob.

More giggles escaped Mercedes' lips, but she was smart enough to back away while laughing.

"Oh you think that's funny, huh?" questioned Sam with a devilish smirk. He set the bread slice and knife down, flicked the peanut butter off his nose and quickly ate it before coming after Mercedes with the jar of jelly.

She squealed, "Oh my God—Sam, don't!" she begged while he let her get ahead of him for a while. Eventually though, they ended up back in the kitchen; Sam had caught her gently around her middle and pretended to stick the mouth of the jelly jar in her face.

"Nom, nom, nom!" Sam playfully growled, triggering more laughs from her. After a little while he let her go, allowing her to face him.

"You're cruel," she said with a hand on her belly, trying to catch her breath. "And you missed some," she said, pointing to his nose.

Sam's hand instinctively went to his face to get whatever he'd missed but again, Mercedes surprised him. She shot up on her toes and kissed the peanut butter remnants from the tip of his nose. His green hues widened a fraction but he also smiled down at her.

Her bottom lip was tucked in while the tip of her tongue appeared and slowly slipped back in her mouth. Not once during any of this had her twinkling chocolate hues left his face. He didn't know what she was seeing, but the next words to come out of her mouth were a whispered, "Thank you, Captain. For making me feel better."

His lips melted from an admirable smile to a humble, lop-sided smirk—right up until Mercedes rose on her toes again and grazed her lips along his. It was almost as if she was asking if it was okay. Sam, of course, giving her bottom lip a tender pinch with his pair at first and when he relaxed his jaw slightly, he tilted his head and brought his arms around her waist. He bent his head—relieving her craned neck while also deepening the kiss. Neither of them were all that aware of it, but it had turned into their longest kiss yet. And when her lips hummed a soft moan against his pair, it sent a current through his frame.

When they pulled apart, both of them were smiling at each other. Mercedes was blushing while Sam tucked both lips inside his mouth.

"I um…uh," he heard her stammer and then let a nervous chuckle leave her lips.

He grinned softly and assured her, "It was kind of sexy."

She lowered her head bashfully into her palm, chuckling again, "Okay, I'm gonna go wait for my PB&J, um…in the living room…over there." She pointed in the direction she was now headed towards and Sam watched her go until she was out of sight.

He brought his attention back to their dinner but he couldn't stop thinking about their kiss and her moan. It kept replaying in his head, causing him to smirk again and again each time. By the time he pulled himself out of the thought, he'd finished with their sandwiches and tried to focus on ways to keep the good vibes going.

* * *

"Find something good on?" he asked, shifting his gaze from the back of Mercedes' head to the television mounted above the mantel.

She shrugged casually, "There's an encore of the most recent episode of _The Bachelor_. I missed it."

Sam's face soured slightly, "_The Bachelor_?"

"Yeahh. I know, trust me—Kurt gives me a lot of flack for watching it too but…I can't help it! It's my guilty pleasure by far. That and _General Hospital_."

He chuckled at her and shook his head, offering the plate of sandwiches to her. When she took one he sat down beside her, "I mean…I guess I get _General Hospital_, but…_The Bachelor_ and _The Bachelorette_ are scripted crap!"

Mercedes pursed her lips, "_General Hospital_'s scripted too."

"Yeah but you _know_ it's scripted. Just like a sitcom or any of the crime scene shows. The _Bachelor_ and _Jersey Shore_ and all those 'reality' shows script their drama and try to sell it to you like it's legit. That's why I can't watch them—I don't want that kind of insult to my intelligence."

She had taken a large bite out of her sandwich, making her unable to say anything back so she merely nodded and rolled her eyes until her mouth was clear again. "Yeah yeah, but that's why it's my _guilty_ pleasure."

Sam chuckled after getting his own bite in. "You know what's more entertaining is The Dating Game. Remember those shows? How they had the wall dividing someone from 3 possible suitors?"

Mercedes giggled, "Oh geeze—yeah my mom likes to watch re-runs on the Game Show Network."

"Now _that_ stuff's funny." Sam had suddenly become very animated as he mimicked his own rendition of The Dating Game. He sat up straight and crossed his legs while explaining to Mercedes, "So the girl sits on the stool and goes…" he cleared his throat and when he spoke again, his voice was an unbelievably feminine falsetto tone, "Bachelor #1, if we were to go on a date…where would you take me?"

Right away, Mercedes snorted and started cracking up, but Sam went on, trying to tame his growing grin.

"And then the guy would reply…" His tone suddenly dropped, dancing on the border of a macho man and his James Earl Jones voice as he said, "Well you know I'd take you anywhere you'd wanna go. It's gonna be heaven wherever we're at, y'know?"

Mercedes had to set her sandwich down before she dropped it from laughing too hard. Her hands were clutching her stomach as Sam went back to his girl voice.

"Ooo la la—smooth, Bachelor #1. Okay, Bachelor #2…if you were an animal, what would you be?"

He added a bit of airheadedness to his tone as he asked that, but when he answered for Bachelor #2, he sounded as though he was channeling Steve Urkel. "Ooo, Baby! I'd be a tiger. Rawr!"

Mercedes had one hand on the couch and one hand clamped to her stomach, "Okay, okay! You have to stop," she begged in between laughs. "Oh my God, I can't take it!"

Sam snickered, "See? The Dating Game's waaay better than The Bachelor or The Bachelorette."

"Only if you're watching the one-man show version starring Sam Evans," she retorted while trying to catch her breath.

Sam shrugged playfully, "Oh, well, y'know…"

Mercedes giggled softly and picked up her sandwich to finish it. Once she swallowed the last bite, she told him, "Your PB&J was great, as always."

"Thank ya darlin'," he replied, trying out his George W. Bush impression on her.

"Sam!" she spoke sharply but giggled again.

"Okay, okay, sorry," he grinned, showing that he hadn't been all that apologetic.

"Actually, I was gonna ask…" Mercedes bit her lip for a moment and then let go, "Would you make another one? I guess I'm a little more hungry than I realized."

Sam smiled, "No problem. Did you want something to drink too? I have water, OJ, milk, and um…"

"Water's good," she told him before his thoughts could trail off for too long. "Thank you, Captain."

He popped the last of his own sandwich in his mouth and winked, getting up from the couch to make her another sandwich.

* * *

While eating through her second PB&J, Mercedes kept flexing and relaxing her toes, trying to relieve the aches in them. She wanted to rub them but two problems were currently preventing her from doing so. The first was that her rounding tummy didn't allow her to lean forward for very long without growing severely uncomfortable. The second was that she was still eating and the thought of touching her feet while enjoying her sandwich—no matter how perfectly pedicured they were— made her want to gag.

"Your feet still bugging you?" she heard Sam ask.

She looked to him and saw him staring at her curled toes. With a slight frown she admitted, "Yeah. I tried to sit down as much as possible today but…it didn't really stop them from hurting, I guess."

Sam nodded and patted the small bit of cushion space in between them, "Here, lean back against those pillows and put your feet up."

Mercedes cocked a brow, "What? You're gonna give me a foot rub?"

"Yes, ma'am. Come on."

He patted the couch once more and after a slightly wary glance and a gentle smile, Mercedes scooted back on the couch and lifted her legs one at a time onto the couch. The moment Sam's large, warm hands closed around her cold feet, she got goosebumps on her arms. His thumbs kneaded along the center of her foot and pressed firmly against the ball of her foot and the padding of each toe. He repeated this on the same foot another four times before switching to the other foot.

"How's that?" he asked, looking up at her.

Her head was leaning back on the pillows behind her, causing her to gaze heavenward as she blissfully answered, "Amazing." She let a content sigh leave her lips and closed her eyes, "I could fall asleep right here."

"Oooh no you don't," replied Sam. When she opened her eyes and lifted her head, he was smirking softly at her.

"What?"

"You're not sleeping on the couch. I am. You can sleep in my room."

Both of Mercedes' brows rose, "Say what?"

Sam shrugged, "The couch is comfy—sure, but you'll appreciate the bed more. Trust me. And I didn't think you'd wanna share the bed, so…it's yours as long as you're here."

"Sam, I don't wanna kick you out of your own bed."

He shook his head at her, "Don't look at it that way. Look at it as your gentlemanly boyfriend treating his girlfriend right. And if you can't do that then at least accept the bed for the squirt."

Mercedes giggled softly, letting her hands go instinctively to her tummy. "Alright…you win, Captain."

He smiled triumphantly and finished her foot rub, and then cleared their dinner from the living room. When he returned from the kitchen, Mercedes shut off the T.V. and watched him grab her duffle for her; she led the way up the stairs but once they reached his bedroom, she stepped aside.

Sam flicked the light switch on and for the first time, Mercedes was seeing his bedroom. Unlike the rustic gold and white colors that filled the majority of the rooms in the house, his room had pale blue walls with white curtains over the room's only window. There was a small T.V. sitting on his dresser, to the left of the door, and directly in front of her was a California King with a navy blue comforter draped over the top and two dark oak nightstands on either side of the bed. To the right of the door was the closet, and beside that was another door—a bathroom she later learned. Along the walls hung a framed certificate of some sort, next to Sam's high school diploma, a McKinley Letterman's "M" and some ribbons.

Sam set her duffle bag down at the foot of the bed and then turned to face her again. "Make yourself comfortable," he said. "I'm just gonna grab some pajamas and something to job in, in the morning."

Mercedes nodded, "Thanks again for everything tonight, Sam."

He shrugged at her and in passing her at the door, pecked the side of her head. "Night, Stormy."

* * *

The next morning, Mercedes awoke to the sound of water rushing through the pipes in the walls. She cracked her eyes open and as her surroundings became more coherent in her mind, she realized a shower was running. Aside from the small bathroom in Sam's room, she knew of the half bathroom downstairs, as well as the full-sized bathroom down the hall, in between the other two rooms in the house.

Mercedes' lips stretched in an elongated "O" for a yawn and as she reluctantly sat up, her hand started rubbing light circles on her stomach. "Good morning, Baby. Thanks for letting Mommy sleep last night." After another yawn, she stood and went to her duffle to retrieve her toothbrush and toothpaste. She brushed her teeth, removed the wrap from around her head and then wandered back to the bed. On top of it being a comfortable bed, the sheets and pillows smelledof Irish Spring and a faint hint of cologne. She buried her face in Sam's pillow until she heard a few knocks on the bedroom door.

Her head shot up, and then the rest of her sat up straight while the door handle turned.

"Mercedes?" she heard him say.

Her eyes were on the door as she replied, "I'm up. You can come in."

Sam pushed the door open and the sight of him made Mercedes freeze.

Her slightly widened eyes raked over his half naked state; a white towel clung to the divots at his pelvis and tiny flecks of water were sprinkled along his chiseled abs and strong chest. His damp hair was an even darker shade of blond, and he looked completely oblivious, or unfazed b the affect he was currently having on her. The feeling of déjà vu was rapidly overcoming her.

"How did you sleep?" he asked, entering the room.

She nodded mindlessly but soon snapped out of it, "Fine," she replied faintly.

Sam chuckled softly and arched a brow at her. "Um…good. I just came to let you know that I…just got back from…my jog…are you okay?"

Again, Mercedes nodded; her eyes hadn't left his glorious physique. This time, however, it seemed that Sam had taken notice.

Before she knew it, he was directly in front of her with his finger gently tipping her chin up to look at his face. She complied and saw that he was smiling down at her.

"Good morning," he murmured in a sultry, amused tone.

"Amen," she wittily replied without meaning to. Her lips clamped together but Sam had no trouble loosening them. He took a seat beside her and leaned into give her a good morning kiss.

Her mind was torn between recollections of their kiss the previous night, and where the kiss in her dream led to…

His skills in kissing were making Mercedes feel buoyant and a bit more confident in herself than previous kisses. He tilted his head and her hand went up to stroke the baby hairs along the nape of his neck. She was full of all kinds of surprises since her mood had taken a turn for the better last night. He was about the guide the tip of his tongue along her lower lip, asking for entry, when she sucked his bottom lip in and gave it a gentle nip with her teeth—something she had never done to him before.

Without meaning to, he groaned her name, tightening his hold on her hips. He tugged his lip free and lowered his pair to start a trail of kisses long her neck while taking in deep breath through her nose—_probably smelling my body wash_, she guessed as it was something she'd learned he loved.

Her mind was coming unhinged at the feel of his lips moving along smooth, tenderness of her skin. Somewhere in her mind she was telling herself to stop, or at least slow down but the fingers curling into the back of his shirt were telling her otherwise.

It wasn't until she felt his long fingers hike up her camisole that she found the strength to say, "Wait, Sam…"

He took in another deep breath at her neck and then raised his head, piercing his green eyes at her face. "Are you okay?"

"Yes…I don't know…I mean…" she took a long breath of her own and after sighing most of it out she said, "I want to but…I still don't think I'm quite ready for it yet. And I don't wanna let things get further only to upset you later down the road."

She saw the muscles around his settled jaw shift slightly and for a moment she wondered if he was already mad at her. Her teeth clamped down on her bottom lip until Sam spoke to her.

"It's okay. I um…to be honest I got kinda caught up after you stole my lip." He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled, "I didn't know that was such a turn on for me."

Mercedes' heart-shaped lips curled. _She_ triggered a new turn-on for him. Part of her wondered what some of his other turn-ons were but she didn't ask right now; curiosity would lead to experimentation, which would lead to her struggling to gain some self-control all over again.

"I'll um…I'll just go change in the bathroom—give you some privacy to get ready," spoke Sam as he grabbed some jeans and another one of his fitted thermal tops out of his dresser drawers. Oh and we've got to get back here by three. I have a surprise for you and our squirt."

She blinked a few times, "A surprise?"

"Yeah, but if you ask me what it is now, I'm not tellin'."

Her lips puckered with quick defeat; there wasn't anything she could think of off the bat that he could possibly be surprising her and the baby with; then again, with Sam it could be anything. She smiled at how true she realized this was and stood up from his bed, making her way to her duffle for her outfit for the day. A brand new day with Sam was something she constantly looked forward to over the course of the past two months.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! What do you think of Sam and Mercedes' little overnighter so far? And after the next chapter I promise I'll be moving on from February. The shortest month of the year and it's gotten the most chapter attention, I think. Haha. Ironic, no?  
And a small note on the previous chapter; I hated writing for Rachel. I've grown to strongly dislike her character in canon and I feel like she would probably pull some stunt like this if something like this were to have ever happened on the show. Especially since she ratted out Puck and Quinn to Finn and then tried lying about it, and THEN had the audacity to ask Quinn not to punch her in her nose (btw I almost had Mercedes do just that but I have future plans for Rachel). Ugh. Girl makes me sick!  
Anyway, I hope you all are enjoying this fic so far! :) **_


	23. Chapter 23

**February 2012**

"What about this one?"

Sam looked over his shoulder to see Mercedes stroking her fingers along the top bar of a cherry wood sleigh crib. He studied her face for a moment to gauge her interest in it. A soft smile broke out across her face as she moved her hand to point.

"That's so cute—they have Lion King bedding in here. I wonder if they have a set of that for sale."

He chuckled, "Remember that one time we went to the park and I quoted _Lion King_ for you."

"I remember," she replied with a slightly wider smile.

"You thought I was making fun of your dad."

Mercedes giggled, "Yeah, yeah. And?"

Sam shrugged, "Nothing. I was just thinking maybe Lion King would be a cool theme or something for the baby's stuff."

Mercedes' pointed finger went to her chin, staring pensively at the bedding. "Hmm…well maybe we don't have to be so specific about it. Like…the theme could just be zoo animals. That's gender neutral, right?"

"I think so. I mean…animals are animals, right?" replied Sam.

"Right." He watched her lips tuck into her mouth for a moment, and then reappear, "What do you think about this crib though? It's nice—looks safe and easy to assemble, and it's within our budget."

Sam wandered over to the crib to take a closer look. He gripped the top bar to give it a firm shake, "The crib's one of the few things I'm not gonna worry about a budget on, Stormy."

"I know, but sometimes all those haza-gaza things are worse than the simpler ones."

Unable to help himself, his lips fell into a sheepish pout; he had been a fan of gadgets and it was especially true when it came to shopping around for cribs and strollers. They had seen so many different models of strollers before deciding on one with a detachable carrier. But he could tell Mercedes was fawning over the sleigh crib as she quietly read the description on the attached price tag.

"I'm sure this one will look nice in the nursery," Sam told her, bringing an arm around her shoulder.

Mercedes looked up at him brightly, "So we're getting it?"

Sam nodded once, "We're getting it."

As Mercedes hugged herself closer to him in celebration, Sam return the hug with the arm that was around her and then stepped away, "I'm gonna go find someone to get one from the back for us."

She nodded and he wandered away from the aisle of display cribs until he found one of the Babies 'R Us employees. The man had been organizing a display of Huggies diaper boxes in a pyramid in the center of a tile aisle. "Excuse me." Sam waited for the guy to turn around and then went on, "I wanted to get one of the cribs on display."

"Sure!" replied the employee. "Go ahead and show me which one and I'll grab one from the back."

"Alright. Oh! Before I forget—the crib we want has some Lion King bedding on the display. Do you guys sell that here?"

"We do," replied the friendly employee. "I can show you where it's at afterwards if you want?"

"Yeah that'd be great. I think it's part of what sold the crib to my girlfriend," he thought aloud with a soft chuckle. Sam led the way to where he and Mercedes were but when he returned, he only saw their cart with the boxed up stroller and some bath accessories sitting inside. He abruptly stopped and arched a brow, wondering where Mercedes had gone.

"Is…something wrong, sir?" asked the employee.

Still looking confused, Sam replied, "Um…yeah my girlfriend disappeared." He slowly stepped away from the employee but pointed to the sleigh crib, "That's the one we want though—be right back."

He stalked up the ends of the aisles, wondering where she had gone while growing slightly worried. As his hand went to his back pocket to grab his phone, he heard her voice, sounding sharp and irate, coming from two aisles over. Relief washed over him, only for the mere fact that he found her, but his worry overwhelmed that relief as he picked up on her words.

"I'm sure you _are_ sorry now, but you know what? I don't want your damn apologies! I want you to lose my number and leave me the hell alone! You made your selfish-ass feelings real clear last night, Rachel."

Sam's even strides faltered at the sound of Rachel's name. He'd heard more than enough of about her from Mercedes, but after last night Rachel had earned herself a high spot on his shit list. He saw how quickly Mercedes went from being excited to fuming, and a prickle of agitation hit him as well.

"Well I'm not gonna kill your guilt by forgiving you, just because you got your ass chewed out by my friends!" growled Mercedes.

Sam approached her with his hand out for her phone; his entire expression was hard-set and he was not interested in seeing this girl—whoever she was—ruin the day he had planned for him and his girlfriend. His hand came closer, making an obvious demand for the phone as Mercedes fussed on.

"You just like hearing yourself talk, don't you? I get it! You're captain now! You're also a liar and a self-centered, annoying little—"

Sam's gaze snapped more attentively to Mercedes' face, the moment her sentence cut off. He watched her mouth gape and her hand clutch her belly as she sucked in a loud gasp. Without another thought, Sam rushed right up to her and brought an arm around her sinking form while his other hand stole her phone away to end the call.

"Mercedes? What is it?" he asked, panicked.

She was resisting his support with a strong urge to double forward while anguish dominated her features. In a strained whimper she replied, "I—I dunno—something's wrong, Sam."

For a split second, Sam froze. He couldn't know what Mercedes was feeling, nor could he know the severity at which she was feeling it, but hearing her say that something was wrong yanked at his core. But he immediately pulled himself together enough to hold up a calm, outward front. "Let's go to the hospital, Mercedes. Come on."

He ushered her as quickly and cautiously out of the store and back to his truck, all the while chanting to her, "It's gonna be okay, it's gonna be okay…" again and again. At one point during the drive, the words began leaving his mouth in a mechanical tone. Her breaths were heavy and rapid and her pained cries kept coming and going. He offered his hand for Mercedes to hold or squeeze the entire time; as desperate as he was to get them there safely, his own thoughts were fighting him, causing his mind to become fragmented—a thousand creases of fears for her and their baby.

* * *

Was this to become a trend in her life? Her day started out so well, first with her morning greeting from Sam—something she wouldn't mind getting used to, were they to live together someday. Then, after her own shower and preparation for their day of baby-readying plans, she took over Sam's kitchen to make them both breakfast by using his given groceries to make them French toast. During breakfast she had received a three-way call from Kurt and Tina, with the two checking to see if she was alright. She had a little fun on the phone and put them on speaker while she and Sam sat at the kitchen table together.

"_Trust us, 'Cedes, none of us were backing down from how wrong Rachel was."_

"_And not just her," added Kurt, "she led the absurdity but we dished out some choice words for those other girls too."_

_Mercedes pursed her lips into a small smile, "Thanks you guys. But I promise, I'm feeling better today. Rachel Berry is not on my radar right now."_

"_Of course he's not. You're with Captain McDreamy."_

_Tina and Mercedes both giggled—Mercedes, more so because she was watching Sam shake his head mid-bite._

"_You guys wanna say 'hi' to him?" Mercedes asked._

"_Yes!" Tina said at the same time that Kurt said, "Sure."_

_Mercedes laughed a little, "Alright well you're on speaker."_

_In nearly perfect harmony, Tina and Kurt spoke in a sing-song voice, "Hiiiiii."_

_Sam chuckled and mocked back to them, "Hiiiiii."_

_Mercedes popped a couple grapes in her mouth while Tina asked, "I hope I get to meet you soon, Sam! I Mercedes told me about you and I think you and my boyfriend, Mike would get along really well!"_

"_We're having a triple date when he comes to town by the way," Kurt added._

_Sam's brows rose at Mercedes, "Um…cool!"_

_She explained to him, "Tina's boyfriend graduated last year—he goes to a dance school in Chicago."_

"_Oh yeah?"_

"_Yep!" Tina said proudly. "He's an incredible dancer. And a bit of a comic and video game nerd."_

"_Well in that case," said Sam as he cut off a corner of French toast with his fork, "no doubt we'll get along."_

They chatted with Tina and Kurt for a little bit longer before Mercedes ended the call, telling them they had to get going. From there, they grabbed their jackets and headed off to Babies 'R Us, talking over the things that they were going to look at and buy that morning. Neither of them was fully prepared for the hours they ended up spending debating over the right stroller and picking out a crib. In between the two, they had pulled some bath and clothing items into their purple shopping cart, but their venture ended at the cribs. They had just agreed on one and Mercedes was feeling absolutely jubilant over it. Part of her felt a little silly for being so happy over a crib, but a bigger part of her didn't care; she saw the soft green color Sam had picked out for the room and thought the crib was going to go nicely with it.

As Sam walked away to find someone to get the crib, her caller ring tone went off inside her purse, coupled with incessant buzzing. She took the phone out and glanced at the caller ID; the number was blocked and for a moment she debated answering a block number but decided to take the call anyway.

"Hello?"

There was a pause on the other end that almost had Mercedes repeating her greeting until a rushed voice said, "Please don't hang up on me, Mercedes."

In an instant, she recognized Rachel Berry's voice and her eyes narrowed. "Rachel what the hell do you want?"

"I—just give me a minute, okay?"

Mercedes looked about for a fleeting second and then wandered away from the cribs, leaving hers and Sam's cart behind. She assumed she would be back soon and with the store being desolate of many customers, she wasn't worried about losing their chosen items.

"What, Rachel? What do you want?" Mercedes asked again through gritted teeth. When she spotted the aisle of gliders, she headed towards them in case she got tired of standing. She flipped her hair back and sighed, giving Rachel a chance she didn't deserve. She listened to Rachel apologize for telling her secret in front of the glee club. But Mercedes' formerly tamed feelings surrounding Rachel were bubbling up inside her again. She tuned out Rachel's sappy apology of the present, and kept thinking instead about how Rachel had called her a slut.

Her temper flared as she and Rachel went back and forth with their words. She saw Sam appear at the end of the aisle and when he silently requested her phone, she strongly considered handing it over or just hanging up herself. Sam had been making her feel better ever since they left the high school, and one short phone call was snuffing that joy out. But as she geared up to end her conversation with Rachel, an alarming pain shot through her stomach. It felt as though someone pierced her pelvis with a long needle while the same area grew painfully contracted. For a moment she couldn't speak; she couldn't think about what her face looked like but her entire body flooded with absolute fear. All thoughts of telling Rachel off were abandoned as she clutched her stomach, thinking only of her baby.

She heard Sam and was vaguely aware of him prying her phone out of her hand, but when he asked what was going on, the pain flared, rendering her nearly speechless. No series of cramps in her past could compare to what this felt like—she almost didn't answer him. And grateful as she was that he was escorting her out of the sore, she really wanted to lower herself to her hands and knees in hopes that it would help her feel better. She was desperate for the pain to go away. The idea of this being what labor felt like only made her worry further—not for the pain, but the prematurity of it. And as hard as it was, she tried to listen to Sam's repeated assurance.

Everything that occurred once they got to the hospital was a blur. Two nurses put her in a wheelchair while bombarding her with questions on her pain—when did it start, what did it feel like, how far along was she, and so-on. She just wanted them to _know _already so she could stop talking. They brought her to a room and helped her out of her clothes and into a gown; in the swirl of immeasurable minutes running tests, she looked around the room and asked the nurses, "Where's Sam?"

"Who?" spoke one of the nurses who was strapping a heart monitor around her stomach.

"Sam?" Mercedes repeated, agitated. "My boyfriend and father of my baby. He brought me here?"

"Oh, he was asked to wait out front until we finished your tests."

"You're done, right?"

The second nurse spoke, "Just about, Mercedes—we just need to check the baby's heart rate."

Mercedes scowled, "So he can't be in here to hear our baby's heart rate?"

Both nurses were quiet for a moment, and as one of them started to try and calm her, she cut across and said, "I want him in here."

"Sure, Mercedes."

One of the nurses left the room while the other nurse hovered over her with a clipboard in hand, jotting down things Mercedes couldn't see. Agitated as she now was with the nurses, she was doing her best to force herself into a calm but doing it alone was proving to be more difficult than she could manage. She held both hands over her stomach while still glowering at the remaining nurse. Sometimes she wondered if they enjoyed making a person suffer alone; she shook her head at her private thought until the room door opened and the second nurse let Sam in.

As he came directly to her bedside, Mercedes reached her arms out for him and hugged him tightly. "I'll call your parents if you want," Sam whispered to her.

She closed her eyes and nodded, relishing in the comfort his presence brought and when they let each other go, her eyes went to his distressed face.

"Are you okay?" she asked, gently molding her fingers to his cheeks.

"Me?" His green eyes glinted disbelief, "I'm worried about you and the baby, Stormy—don't worry about me." He stroked both sides of her hair and then leaned in to kiss her forehead.

Mercedes closed her eyes again when his lips pressed to her forehead, but she opened them when the room door opened again and Dr. Brenner came in.

"Mercedes, we're waiting to get back the rest of your test results but looking at your record, you had a history of stress-induced episodes—fainting, illness and a hormonal imbalance diagnosis…"

Mercedes nodded; Sam laced his fingers in between hers and her doctor went on. "Your body's going to react differently to these stress triggers now that you're pregnant, and it's imperative to your baby's well-being that you avoid whatever is causing this. If your body continues to endure these stress triggers, you could go into premature labor, which is what nearly happened today."

Mercedes felt Sam's grip on her fingers tighten slightly; she brought her other hand over both of theirs to try and ease whatever he was feeling, though she had a good guess that his worry spiked at Dr. Brenner's words.

"Sam, unless you're the one that's causing her stress—"

"He's not," Mercedes curtly stated. She glanced at Sam's concerned features again and then looked back to her doctor. "He's been my saving grace through a lot of my stress."

Dr. Brenner nodded once, "Well in that case, continue helping to keep Mercedes calm and happy through the remainder of her pregnancy." Her gaze continued to go back and forth between Mercedes and Sam for a second, "If you don't mind me asking, are you two living together?"

Sam replied, "No," while Mercedes shook her head.

"I see. Is it safe to assume that you two still spend a great deal of time together?"

"Yes," answered Mercedes while Sam nodded his head.

A trace of a smile came across Dr. Brenner's lips and then she resumed her professional composure. "Well you're going to want to make sure that you give your baby the most stable environment possible, once he or she is here—and not just an emotionally stable, but physically as well."

Mercedes felt Sam's eyes lingering on her face but she kept staring at Dr. Brenner.

"Mercedes, I'd like you to stay overnight, just so we can monitor you and the baby. If everything looks go, you can go home in the morning."

"Okay," she replied.

The nurses cleared off and Dr. Brenner glanced at her charts for a moment before heading out of the room again, leaving her and Sam alone. Mercedes lolled her head against Sam's shoulder and sighed, feeling a bit tired.

"Is that something you'd want to do?"

She glanced up without raising her head, "Hm?"

"Move in with me," he wondered. "Is that something you would want to do?"

Of course in her mind she was quick to say, _Yes_, but out loud she asked, "You don't think we'd be rushing everything? I mean we've known each other for about five months now…we're dating and expecting a baby."

"Well…no offense, but we haven't exactly been taking the traditional route about much of anything as it is," Sam replied with a soft chuckle. He turned slightly to face her and then sat on the edge of her bed, keeping his hand in hers. "I just want to do right by you and the squirt."

Mercedes smiled softly.

"And like I told you before," he went on, "I don't want to push you to do anything you're not ready for. If you're not ready for that, I can understand, but…I think Dr. Brenner brought up a good point about stability, and I think you and I would play house pretty well."

She giggled and shook her head at him when he winked at her, "I won't lie, Sam…it's not the first time I've thought about us living together."

He seemed surprised by this but pleasantly so. "So you'll consider it?"

Mercedes nodded, "Yes. But for now, I just want to know that our baby's okay. I don't wanna tell my parents something before we know. I don't want them on the next flight from my grandma's if everything's fine."

"Me too," he replied, rubbing her leg in a soothing manner. "And speaking of parents…"

Her brows arched.

"That was what my surprise was gonna be. My parents were gonna come up to Lima this evening with my brother and sister so you could finally meet them in person, but…I already called them and told them not to come while I was in the waiting room."

Mercedes frowned; while she understood his reason for doing it, she felt a bit at fault for not being able to finally meet Sam's family, beyond a Sykpe call.

"Don't worry about it," Sam replied, taking in her crestfallen features. "We'll plan for another weekend before April. Puck and I have the meeting with Marvel next weekend…and then I think my mom was gonna come up in a couple weeks to do baby shower stuff with your mom."

Again, Mercedes' brows went up; she chuckled, "I love how they're making all these plans without us."

Sam grinned softly and shrugged, "What can you do though?"

"Not a thing," she answered.

A moment of quiet passed between them and then Mercedes looked up to Sam and asked, "Will you stay here with me?"

"Do you even need to ask?" He smiled his lop-sided smile that she loved, "I'll only go to get your clothes. Other than that, I'll be here, Stormy."

She closed her eyes and leaned into him again. Her hand casually moved their intertwined fingers over her stomach as the baby started kicking strong again. Though they hadn't received an official confirmation from Dr. Brenner yet, she could feel that things were going to be okay.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews. I'm always interested to know your thoughts/feedback.**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**Hey everyone! THANK YOU SO MUCH, each and every one of you, for your avid and loyal reading, lengthy reviewing and support for this fic! Seriously, one of my little joys throughout the days is receiving your reviews.  
Now I know there's been a lot going on in this fic so far, and surely more is coming after this, but I do want to try and avoid neglecting some of my other active fics, so please forgive me if the lengths of the chapters aren't always extensive, or if my updates aren't always daily.  
Anyway, enjoy Chapter 24!**_

**March 2012**

Mercedes sat anxiously awaiting in the Lima Bean café. Late winter was causing her to dress in unpredictable garb; ever since she was cleared to leave the hospital, she wore capris and screen tees on some days, and bundled herself in layers on others. Today, she was wearing sea green skinny jeans and layered her top half with a champagne colored thermal scoop neck, a green scarf and a thick purple hoodie. However once she entered the Café, her hoodie and scarf found their way in her lap. Sam and Puck weren't returning from their meeting in Columbus until tomorrow evening, but in their absence, Mercedes was meeting Sam's parents in person.

"_Are you sure you don't want me to be there?" Sam asked her, Friday morning before he and Puck were leaving._

"_I'll be fine," she insisted. "I've spoken to your parents before."_

"_Yeah, but not alone."_

_She reached up and playfully pinched both of his cheeks while casting a confident smile at him. "I'll be fine. You survived meeting up with my parents alone, didn't you? Plus this meeting's really important. You and Puck find out if _Gladiator Girls_ is getting published or not, and I know what that would mean to Puck. Either way, Stark's gonna need his Cap there."_

_Her words had been enough to assure him. He kissed her 'goodbye' with a promise to call once they were in Columbus, and then he knelt down in front of her with his hands on her rounding tummy, put his lips up close and murmured, "Be good for your mommy, Squirt."_

Mercedes smiled at the recollection while twirling a stir stick in her cocoa.

"Mercedes?"

She snapped out of her recollection and looked up to see a middle-aged blonde couple smiling down at her. Mrs. Evans' bright green eyes twinkled the same hue as Sam's; her fine blonde hair was streaked with minimal strands of grey, only exposed from the way her hair was drawn back for her ponytail. Mercedes stood up, causing her scarf and hoodie to fall away from her lap and reveal her baby bump. She heard Mrs. Evans happily gasp while her gaze went immediately to her tummy.

"Hi Mrs. Evans—Mr. Evans," Mercedes smiled and stepped around the table to hug each of them.

Mrs. Evans giggled softly, "You've got the glow!"

Her comment made Mercedes blush deeply, and Mr. Evans caught it. He gave his wife a gentle scolding, "You're makin' the poor girl blush, Mary." He shook his head with an eye-crinkling crooked smile and came around to pull Mercedes' chair out, "Nice to finally meet you in person, Mercedes."

Mr. Evans was a broad-shouldered man with more notable grey hair in his shoulder length crop than his wife. He seemed fond of his dark blond and grey scruff, because every time Mercedes and Sam spoke to them on Skype, he had the same five 'o clock shadow, though it appeared a bit thicker in person. His large calloused hands pulled another vacant chair out for his wife and then he said, "I'm gonna get me a cup of coffee. You want anything, Darlin'?"

Mary looked up at him, "Just one of their blueberry muffins. I'll steal some sips of your coffee."

Mr. Evans shook his head at his wife again, muttering, "'Course ya will," and then brought his crystal blue orbs on Mercedes. "How 'bout you, Mercedes?

"I'm good with the cocoa—thank you, Mr. Evans."

As he wandered away to get in line, Mercedes looked back to Sam's mother; unable to help herself, she smiled, not really knowing what to say.

"How are you doing today, dear? This wasn't too early for us all to meet, was it?"

"Oh, no Mrs. Evans—I wasn't getting much sleep last night anyway, so it's okay."

Mrs. Evans cast a sympathetic smile, "The baby keep you up last night?"

"Mhm," Mercedes replied, following a soft smile. "He or she really likes to move."

"Dwight and I are so glad you and the baby are doing alright after what happened last week. When Sam called us…" her sentence trailed as her face turned grave.

Mercedes nodded comprehensively, "Trust me Mrs. Evans, we were both really worried. But…the doctor said as long as I stay relaxed and really take care of myself, the baby and I should be fine until he or she gets here."

Whether it was her words or her warm tone, or a combination of both, she managed to get Mrs. Evans' smile to return. "And Sam's been helping you to stay happy and relaxed, right?"

"Oh yes," Mercedes replied, unable to help smiling again. "Your son's amazing. I can tell he's gonna be a really loving father to this baby. There_ is_ something I wanted to ask you and Mr. Evans about though, now that the three of us are getting a chance to talk face-to-face."

As if on cue, Sam's dad returned with a steaming paper coffee cup in one hand and a napkin-wrapped blueberry muffin in the other. He held the muffin out for his wife and then took a seat beside her. "Everythin' okay, Mercedes?" he asked, raising his cup to his lips.

She wanted to nod but it didn't seem right to say 'yes', knowing it was going to be followed with a huge 'but'. Instead, she bit her lip and stared at her cocoa for a moment. "Well…this past week Sam and I have been talking a little bit…about…living together…" Her gaze looked up again, shifting back and forth between both of Sam's parents. "I've talked to my parents about it as well, but I wanted to know what the two of you think as well."

Mr. Evans' brows both twitched up, "Well, I must say…that's mighty mature of ya, Mercedes."

"Yes," agreed Mrs. Evans, "Not many girls your age would have the courage or consideration to seek opinions from her boyfriend's parents."

Mercedes clamped down on her lips again and when she let go she said, "Well…my parents are pretty old-fashioned about a lot of things, so I guess you could say a lot of that rubbed off on me."

Mr. and Mrs. Evans both chuckled softly. "I'll say," agreed Mr. Evans. He took a long pause and then said, "Sam's talked to us about this as well. And here's the thing, Mercedes…"

She held her breath for a moment, not knowing which way this response was going to go.

"The missus and I think you're a real great gal. You're bright, polite—always seem to have your head on straight when we've talked to ya, and you're one heck of an artist from what we hear. Sam speaks the world of ya every time we talk to him, and I think you kids are gonna raise this kid right."

Her apprehension ironically heightened by the slew of compliments; it felt natural to expect that they were going to be followed by a series of downfalls and reasons to disapprove of them living together.

"But we also can't overlook the fact that y'all haven't really known each other too long. Now I know you work with our son, and you both care a lot about each other outside 'a work too, but…I'd just be concerned you two would be rushing into a lot at once."

Mercedes kept her lips pinched together but she let out the breath she'd been holding. Mrs. Evans placed a hand over her husband's, looking less grave than before, but still a bit sad.

"Dwight and I can't make the decision for you and Sam, Mercedes—we hope you understand that."

She nodded, "I do."

"We just want you and Sam to consider everything before making your choices. If you two decide to move in together, you'd both have our support. Given our son's relationship history, you've certainly been a breath of fresh air for everyone, but for him especially. But I know my son…he tends to jump the gun on things—more so after his surgery. And when we talk to him about slowing down and taking time to just enjoy things as they are, he generally doesn't try to hear it. 'Carpe Diem' he always says. One day I'm afraid he's gonna come to Kentucky with that tattooed on his forehead."

Mrs. Evans giggled and Mercedes chuckled, "Mrs. Evans as long as I'm around, I won't let that happen."

The elder woman laughed, "Thank you, dear. But…my point is, I just worry about him rushing to live his life—filling every moment of his youth with all these things that don't necessarily have to happen for him right this second." She fiddled with the wrapper on her muffin as she spoke on, "I'm proud of all he's accomplished and I know he's going to be a wonderful father, but…if he rushes through his relationship with you…if he goes on to propose to you soon…"

Mercedes froze at the thought that hadn't really crossed her mind. It wasn't that she hadn't had a little fantasy or two over the thought of marrying Sam, _someday_, but listening to Mrs. Evans explain her fear for Sam struck a fresh concern in Mercedes' mind.

"What the missus is trying to say is," interjected Mr. Evans; Mercedes vaguely wondered how transparent her thoughts were at the moment but she tried to keep herself collected as Sam's parents spoke to her. "We don't want this to be another slapdash decision made by our son and have it be something that could drive a wedge between the two of ya, or scare you away."

For a moment, Mercedes had been rendered speechless. At first she believed Mr. and Mrs. Evans to be protecting their son, and now it sounded as though they were warning, or protecting her from him. She knew that they meant well, and were honest people, but it would be a lie for her to say that she wasn't a little bit taken aback by their words.

She drew in a deep breath and took to rubbing gentle circles on her stomach—a pensive habit she was beginning to develop. As she let the breath out, her head slowly nodded a few times. "I understand. Thanks for being honest with me, Mr. and Mrs. Evans."

Mrs. Evans raised her palm to Mercedes with a smile, "Please, call us Mary and Dwight, Mercedes."

Mercedes bit her lip, partially concealing her simper, "I um…is it okay if I stick to Mr. and Mrs. Evans? I just…if I got in the habit of calling you two Dwight and Mary, and my parents heard me, they wouldn't be too happy with me."

Mr. Evans chuckled and Mrs. Evans smiled, "My, you're like a little southern belle. Mr. and Mrs. Evans is just fine too, Mercedes."

She nodded, relieved and then added, "Thank you both for the advice by the way. I haven't decided whether or not I'm going to move in yet; I want to make sure it's for all the right reasons—not just because it'd be more convenient and stable for the baby. Either way, when it came to the baby, I know we would be able to make it work."

In private, Mercedes knew she had a lot to think over, and she started to do so already, until Mr. Evans broke in again, "Speaking of the little tike, have you two got a name picked out?"

Mercedes softly chuckled, "Yes, sir. We managed to narrow it down to two girls name and two boys' name choices, so we'll see if we can find out at the next appointment, what we're having."

"What are the two names?" Mrs. Evans happily asked.

"Well for a girl we still really like Stella Nichelle and Natasha Madelyn, and for a boy our top two are Asher Blake and Lukas Alexander."

Mrs. Evans' bright smile—the same she had on her face upon arriving—returned as she clasped her hands together. "Aw Natasha and Lukas have been my favorite names. Lukas is just an adorable name to me, and if you have a girl and name her Natasha, I could nickname her Nattie—it'd be perfect!"

Mercedes did her best to mask her distaste for the nickname, "Nattie" but thankfully she didn't have to work hard at it for very long.

"Funny," said Mr. Evans, "'Cause I like Stella and Asher. Both of those are solid names if you ask me—'specially Asher."

Mercedes giggled softly as Sam's parents began to carry on a playful argument on which names were better until Mrs. Evans waved him off like a pesky fly. "Well we'll just have to wait and see which name Sam and Mercedes end up picking." She raised her flat fingers up to the corner of her mouth, leaned in and whispered a teasing pull for Nattie and Lukas, earning herself a pinch on the behind from her husband.

Mercedes giggled again when Mrs. Evans squealed and promptly swatted her husband's arm. Together, the three went on chattering away, asking Mercedes her hopes for the baby, as well as if she thought her and Sam needed anything. After answering both questions, they talked about a scattered spectrum of things, which led to a few embarrassing childhood stories about Sam that had Mercedes in tears from laughing so much.

Before she knew it, she and Sam's parents had been sitting in the Lima Bean Café for over two hours. Mercedes felt incredibly at ease around Sam's parents and hoped that when Mrs. Evans came back to town next week, that she might get to meet Sam's younger siblings. With some afternoon relaxation plans and a few things to think over now on her agenda, Mercedes walked out to the parking lot with Dwight and Mary Evans. They took turns hugging her 'goodbye' and as Mrs. Evans let her go she said, "I can't wait to meet your mother next week."

Mercedes smiled, "She's really looking forward to meeting you too, Mrs. Evans. This shower sounds like it's a lot of fun planning."

"Oh we've been having the greatest time! I think you and Samuel are really gonna like it."

"I'm glad you two are having him come. It'll be nice to have him there." Mercedes exchanged a meaningful gaze with Mrs. Evans and then looked back and forth between her and her husband. "Thank you both so much for meeting up with me this weekend."

"Our pleasure, Mercedes," replied Mr. Evans. "And remember—you need anything, or if Sam starts acting like a knucklehead, you just give us a call and we'll straighten things out."

They wandered to their car as Mr. Evans said, "We'll be seein' ya real soon now."

Again, Mercedes smiled, "Looking forward to it. And thanks again."

Once they were inside their Ford pick-up, Mercedes made her way to her Equinox and started up the car, feeling calmed and reassured, yet also more conflicted at the same time. Her solo meeting with Sam's parents wasn't nearly as nerve-wracking as she or Sam thought it might possibly be. However, Mr. and Mrs. Evans' thoughts on her and Sam moving in together told her that she was going to have quite a bit more mulling over to do before giving Sam and answer.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! I know there wasn't much Sam in this chapter, but I'm planning to make up for it in the next chapter. What did you think of this one though? As always, I love to know your thoughts! The lengthier the review, the better! Haha. More to come soon!**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**A/N: I tried to make this chapter one of the exceptionally long ones, while still interesting to read throughout, as my way of making up to you fantastic readers. My sincerest apologies for the retard on my frequent updates. Enjoy chapter 25!**_

**March 2012**

"Oh, God—she didn't."

"Yep. She did. So now when I call you Captain, I don't know if I should be thinking Captain America, or Captain Underpants," Mercedes said before bursting into a fit of giggles.

Sam's cheeks and ears were bright red. "America," he sternly mumbled back. "_Always_ America." He saw Puck giving him a curious look and waved him off while lowering his voice, "She didn't show the pictures, did she?"

"…There's _pictures_?"

Right away, Sam smacked his forehead, "Never mind. Forget I said that."

Mercedes was giggling even more, "Oh right—you _know_ I'll wanna see those."

"Stormy you don't," he insisted. "Trust me."

"Normally, I would trust you, but in this case I'm gonna have to make an exception."

His cheeks were burning. "Alright well…excuse me while I go find a corner store that sells butter."

There was another beat of silence before he heard Mercedes ask, "Butter?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna need something greasy to help me pull my big-ass foot out of my mouth." Sam shook his head and listened to her giggle some more. "In the mean time, Puck and I have some great news."

From his peripheral vision he saw Puck leap off his bed dart across the short carpeted space between them and dive right into Sam's lap while shouting, "They're gonna publish it, Storm! _Gladiator Girls_ is a go!"

Sam shoved Puck off his now aching legs while simultaneously switching his call to speaker phone, in time for them both to hear Mercedes cheer, "Yaaaay! Congratulations you guys—I knew it would be!"

"Thanks, Storm," replied Puck. "And thanks for all your help. The three of us are gonna have to celebrate. Soon!"

Mercedes chuckled faintly, "Oh you know it, Stark."

Puck rolled off of Sam's hotel room bed and said, "Alright I'll let you get back to private sexy time with your boo thang—night, Storm!"

Sam rolled his eyes as Puck blew a kiss at him; he took the phone off speaker and waited for Mercedes to get over the amusement of 'boo thang' before saying, We should be back in Lima around 1 tomorrow. There's more I wanna tell you but it's gonna have to wait until we're back."

He could almost see Mercedes shaking her head at him as she said, "You and your surprises."

"Me and my surprises," Sam playfully echoed back; the moment he heard her sleepy laugh however, he said, "Let's call it a night, Stormy. I can hear you yawning through the phone."

"Mmm-mm, no you can't."

"Can too," he replied, smirking. "But really…you should get some sleep. Is the squirt behaving enough for you to do that?"

"For now," she replied. He could hear her smile through the phone and out of habit he smiled softly as well.

"Call me if anything comes up, okay?"

"I will. I love you."

"I love you too. Night, Stormy."

After ending the call, he set his phone to charge and laid back flatter on his bed. But he looked over to see Puck staring at him in a statue-esque position. Sam cocked a brow at him but Puck merely shook his head.

"What?" Sam finally demanded.

"You, dude. How long's it been since you got any?"

Right away Sam's furrowed brows deepened. "The hell made you wanna know?"

Puck just shrugged, "I dunno. I think of weird shit all the time—you know this by now. Anyway, tell me how you do it?"

Sam shrugged casually, "The old-fashioned way—just stay out of the conditioner in my bathroom."

"Ugh! Okay thanks for the warning," Puck replied with several shakes of his head. "You know…it's not dangerous to get a little action in while she's preggo. It's not like your dick's gonna give the baby brain damage."

He rolled his eyes, "I know."

"When Lauren was pregnant with Abby—man she was mad hungry for Little Puck."

"Ooookay," Sam held his hand up to halt him, "Not what I need or want to hear."

Puck kicked back in his boxers, "So what's the deal? She's not all horny for your little soldier?"

"No—I don't know."

"Are you not down with FWP?"

"FWP?" Sam stared at him like he'd grown a third eye.

Puck shrugged casually this time and explained, "Fucking While Pregnant."

Sam rolled his eyes, "We haven't really gotten that far but…it's fine. She's going through a lot right now with the pregnancy, the lawsuit, and waiting to hear back from the colleges she applied to…"

"Oh yeah…she applied to a bunch of out-of-state ones, right?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah…all but OSU."

"Soo…what's gonna happen if she wants to go to one of them? I mean you haven't even told her about the scholarship yet."

"No, because I wanna tell her in person. And…I don't know what's gonna happen if she wants to go to another school."

Puck stared at him, looking visibly upset. "Cap, you needa figure this out and fast. If you're gonna bail on me and run off to California with her—"

"Dude!" Sam pumped his hands out at the sudden sharpness in his best friend's voice. "Relax. I already told you that I don't know what's gonna happen yet. I mean we're not even living together, but…listen, Tony, I've never left you high and dry before. I wouldn't do that to you now. I don't think it's gonna happen but…if Mercedes and I went to California, or New York or…Timbuktu, I wouldn't drop a bomb like that and just bail on you. Besides, if I left that'd mean I would have to sell my grandparents' house and I don't wanna do that."

Puck stayed slightly for a long moment. It seemed as though he was holding his breath when he finally let out a sigh, shaking his head back and forth, "Man, I do not envy you—a baby on the way, a relationship that's a few steps out of the starting gate, _and_ you gotta see what she's gonna do about school?"

"And I can't push her one way or another," added Sam. "I mean…I don't want to be like that—shoving ultimatums in her face, but even if it came down to that, I can't stress her out with stuff like that right now. I already had to chew out that stupid chick that pissed her off so badly it sent her to the hospital."

"Yeah, you never really told me all about that—what gives?"

Sam shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, "I told you that chick that caused Mercedes to leave glee club called her while we were looking at cribs."

"Yeah, yeah," Puck waved that part off, "I know but I mean what happened later? What'd _you_ say when you talked to that girl?"

"Well… I waited for Mercedes to fall asleep, and since I still had her phone, I stepped out to the waiting room and called that girl back. I kept the conversation short and basically told her she needed to lay off Mercedes before she ended up in the hospital again, otherwise the words restraining order were gonna worm their way into her ears soon." He shrugged again, "Seemed like it was enough.

In truth, Sam's verbatim talk with Rachel was, "_Look, I don't really know you and you sure as hell don't know me but I'm calling to thank you very much for putting my girlfriend in the hospital."_

"_Excuse me? I didn't pu—"_

"_Actually I didn't make this call so you'd get to talk. You're gonna work on listening skills right now so hear me and hear me well. Don't call Mercedes anymore. Don't come to her house. Don't talk to her. You got what you wanted from her and you know where it got her and our baby? The hospital. Congratulations. So if you have even half a brain, you'll back off. We won't be having this conversation again, Rachel."_

"…_.Oh my God I-I'm so sorry—is she okay?"_

"_Not that you've got the right to know but they'll be fine, and they'll be even better once you agree to leaving Mercedes alone."_

"_I—…I understand," Rachel whispered. "I'm sorry."_

"_I'm sure."_

He'd hung up on Rachel after that; the bulk of this conversation replayed in his mind as he thought it over, but aloud he told Puck, "I just can't risk upsetting Mercedes right now. I mean I don't wanna upset her in general but…right now while she's pregnant, it's especially dangerous to her health and the baby's. So I'll just have to take things as they come, and see what happens."

* * *

"Alright it's official…I miss seeing you at school every day."

Mercedes giggled softly while rubbing slow circles along her tummy. She lay on her bed with her phone at her ear and said, "Hey Kurt. I miss seeing you a lot too—you, Tina, Joe, Artie—how are the guys?"

"Well I guess they're good. Glee club's not the same without you, that's for sure. Renegade Rachel managed to suck all the fun out of the club—even the fresh meat who voted against you are having their regrets."

"Well good. They're getting exactly what they deserve, but I'm sorry to hear you guys are stuck putting up with her."

"Mercedes, we're so ready to follow your example and quit. Ugh, it's not even worth going anymore."

"No, don't quit, Kurt. If you guys leave, you'll just be giving Rachel the satisfaction she's looking for—leading a bunch of people like a herd of sheep."

"Well…if I stay, it'll be for you, and that's it."

"Thanks, Ivory."

"Mmmhm. So how's Uncle Kurt's little pint-sized bundle of joy?"

She giggled again, "He or she's doing good."

Kurt clicked his tongue, followed by a sigh, "They need to cooperate at your next appointment. When is it, by the way?"

"Monday. We asked the doctor about pushing the appointment up so our moms could know before they go shopping for shower stuff this coming weekend."

"Did I mention that I'm hoping you two have a boy?"

Mercedes' brows rose with intrigue, "You are?"

"Yeah. I mean obviously a girl would be twenty times more fun to shop for and either way I'm gonna be excited, but…I dunno, I just feel like you're going to have a boy and I'm hoping I'm right. How cool would that psychic moment be? Plus I've heard boys tend to be calmer, more easy-going babies than girls."

"Oh please—that's a myth. It's got everything to do with how the baby's raised. If you spoil the hell outta a baby then of course they're going to be extra fussy whenever they don't get what they want. And if they're always smothered by their mom and dad, then that's the only people they'll be well-behaved around."

"Well either way, you'd better tell me right away when you find out. By the way, I already confirmed with Tina, but we're still on for our triple date on Tuesday, right?"

"Yep. Sam and Puck come back from Columbus tomorrow," said Mercedes.

"Oh! How'd the meeting with his parents go today?"

"It was…good."

"Uh-oh," Kurt's tone suddenly turned grave and suspicious. "What happened?"

"Nothing—Mr. and Mrs. Evans are really sweet people. It's just…they gave me a little bit to think on…"

"About?"

"Sam and I moving in together."

The line was quiet for a moment and then Kurt asked, "What did they say?"

She smoothed her hands out below her belly button where she felt her baby's kicks and told him, "They were just talking with me about moving in with Sam for the right reasons. I asked for their opinion, and they said they would be supportive either way, but I got a warning from them that Sam tends to rush into things, especially since his tumor and all. And to be honest, I can see both sides. I mean…they're worried about him rushing through his life out of fear and all, and they think that might scare me away. And then I see Sam's side too; I mean he could've died from the tumor and the cancer, Kurt…I'm sure he's just trying to live the life he's been given to the fullest."

"Yeah but…I mean he _didn't _die. People are at risk of dying every day, Mercedes, and you don't see all of them living their life on fast-forward."

She rolled her eyes, "Not everyone goes through near-death experiences like what he went through, Kurt. And besides, I thought you'd be rooting for Sam and me to move in together."

"Oh make no mistake, Mercedes—I'm all for you and McDreamy to be under one roof, but like his folks, I want it be for the right reason."

"What's the_ right_ reason though?" She had her own answer but everyone else seemed to just tell her to do it for the right reason and leave it at that.

Kurt did have an answer to offer though. "The right reason is you two living together because it's what you _want_ to do—not because it's what you think you have to do for your baby."

Mercedes didn't respond. _Is that what Sam and I would be doing if we moved in together?_

"Here nor there, it's not a decision you have to make right this second, do you?"

She shook her head even though Kurt couldn't see her, "No."

"Good. Then don't trip, chocolate chip."

"Thanks," she replied after a few soft chuckles.

"Anyway, I gotta go. Blaine and I are finally seeing _The Vow_ tonight and he'll be here any minute but I'll see you and McDreamy at Panera."

"Yep. Thanks for the advice as always, Ivory."

"Of course—we've always got each other's backs, Ebs. Night! And sing the little one something pretty for me tonight."

Again she found herself giggling softly but she yawned mid-way, "I will."

"And get some sleep, Mama!"

"Yes, yes," she replied, smiling, "Goodnight."

A moment later, the call dropped and Mercedes set her phone back on her charger. She lay on her side in her bed, rubbing her stomach some more; exhaustion was overwhelming her and she hoped that she might be able to catch up on some much-needed sleep tonight. All would be determined on what her lively baby would allow. She decided to try what Kurt requested.

"So what song should I sing, Baby, hm?" wondered Mercedes as she looked down at her circling fingers. She had a black camisole stretched over her rounding tummy and continued watching her hand as she pondered. When a song finally came to mind she quietly told her tummy, "Okay, this song…whenever I hear it, I think of your daddy. Ready?" She smiled, feeling a little bit silly but softly sang anyway.

"_Daydreamer sitting on the seat, soakin' up the sun—he is a real lover of makin' up the past and feelin' up this girl like he's never felt a figure before. A jaw-dropper, looks good when he walks—is the subject of their talk, he would be hard to chase but good to catch and he could change the world with his hand behind his back, oh…You can find hiiimmm sittin' on your doorstep, waaaaiting fooooor a surprise…and he will feel like he's been there for hourrrrrs and you can tell that he'll be there fooorr liiiife_…"

She yawned while hearing the soft guitar melody in her head, and before singing the second verse, she closed her eyes and shifted her head slightly on her pillow, letting her imagination run free with an image of her and Sam sitting together with their brand new son or daughter.

"_Daydreamer with eyes that make you melt—he lends his coat for shelter plus he's there for you when he shouldn't be, but he stays all the same waits for you, then sees you through. There's no way I could describe him. What I'll say is just what I'm hoping for…but I will find him sittin' on my doorstep, waaaiiitttting foorrr a surprise…and he will feel like he's been there for hourrrrrrsss and I can tell that he'll be there fooooor liiiife…and I can tell that he'll be there, forrr liiiiifeeee_…"

* * *

"Mercedes?"

She felt a sturdy, familiar hand rubbing up and down her bare arm, along with the equally familiar voice softly calling her name. It would have been much nicer, were she not still feeling deprived of enough sleep. She groaned softly and made to carefully roll over to lay on her other side but seconds later, a new weight, about the size of an adult ass, pressed down on the mattress at her back.

"Stormyyy," he crooned near her ear.

Immediately she flinched; her brows pulled furiously together and she groaned, "Stop."

"But I'm back in Lima," he replied as though that would have been enough to rouse her but she remained as she was.

"Good…glad you made it okay," she croaked in a hoarse morning voice.

Another short pause happened between them but Sam ended it by telling her, "Your parents let me in before they went grocery shopping. Said you missed church today."

"What?" Mercedes wondered groggily.

"Yeah," he replied. "They said they tried waking you up but you kept going back to sleep so they left you alone."

Now Mercedes was scowling. "Great…Well, I was really tired—still am. I didn't sleep much these past couple nights. Now I'm awake again."

She raised her head and shot a pointed look at Sam and saw him frown, followed by a muttering of "Sorry." After letting out an agitated, tired sigh, Mercedes grabbed one of her pillows from beneath her head and brought it over her head instead, as though that were enough to block out everything and allow her to go back to sleep. Instead, she felt more shifting weight on her bed, followed by Sam's hand coming around her middle, and a warm, tender kiss on the back of her neck. Her flared irritation was being extinguished by the small gestures done by him. He made it utterly impossible for her to stay upset with him.

Her hand, which had been bent along her upper thigh, moved up to her belly until her fingers could weave in between Sam's. She closed her eyes and let herself be comforted by his closeness, and gradually found herself able to fall back asleep. "We missed you, Captain," she whispered.

Sam took his time answering but before she drifted too far back into slumber she heard him whisper back, "I missed you both too, Stormy."

* * *

His hand kept flexing and relaxing around his steering wheel, the entire duration of their drive to the hospital. He'd spent a couple hours taking an afternoon nap with Mercedes and woken up shortly before her parents returned from shopping. They invited him to stay for dinner, and afterward, he'd headed out with a reminder to Mercedes that he would be by in the morning to pick her up for the appointment that they were now headed to.

"Hey I told you on the phone the other night that I had something else to tell you."

"Oh, right. What's up?" asked Mercedes.

"Hold up, I'm not telling you just yet," he replied.

Mercedes clicked her tongue at him but when he glanced to see if she'd been upset, he saw her shaking her head and smiling softly, "Why remind me right now if you're not gonna tell me yet?"

"I don't want you to let me forget to tell you. I'll feel really bad, and dumb if I forget to tell you after the appointment."

She chuckled softly, "Okay." After a moment, she spoke up again. "So, now that we have a moment awake and alone," Mercedes said with her head turned to him. "I wanted to tell you that I talked with your parents when they came up on Saturday."

Sam chuckled softly, "Well I_ hope_ you talked to them." After she playfully swatted his arm for his sass, he grinned, "What did you guys talk about? Besides my embarrassing kid stories, I mean…"

From his peripheral vision he saw her flash a smile but when she answered, they were no longer showing. "I asked them what they thought about us living together."

His brows raised a fraction, "You did? What'd they say?"

"Well…they pretty much said the same thing my parents said—you know, about being supportive of us and understanding why we would be talking about doing this for the baby, but…"

When it seemed like too much silence passed between them he looked over to see her biting her lip, and couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious. "But…?"

"Sam, they just wanna make sure we're moving in for us, and not just for the baby."

He couldn't help but think there was more so he asked again, "What'd my parents say?"

There was an unmistakable sharpness to his voice, which must have been what made Mercedes' hand reach over and gently rub up and down along his shoulder, "It's nothing to get upset over, Sam. They just don't want us rushing everything is all."

He clenched his teeth together, reading right through the lines, "You mean they don't want _me_ rushing everything." He looked to her again, "They think I put you up to this, huh?"

"No!" Her hand left his shoulder as she said, "Sam, seriously_ I_ was the one who brought it up when I met your parents. I wanted their opinion and as far as I can tell, they were honest in giving it."

"So you think I'm rushing through my life too, don't you?"

"Sam Evans will you take the tunnel vision off and calm down?" Mercedes asked, though her tone was more demanding than suggestive. He hadn't glanced over to see the irritated look on her face, but he could feel her eyes bearing on his face as he stared at the road ahead of them.

He took several deep breaths, all the while gripping his steering wheel, and when he relaxed his grip again his right hand fell away to find her left. When he felt the leathery material of her gloves, he gently closed his fingers around hers and sighed. "I'm sorry, Storm. I just…I've been hearing this from my parents for the past few years and it really bugs me, y'know? And I don't like feeling like everything I do with my life, or everything I want to do with someone I care about is all because I'm 'rushing through life'." His green hues left the rain-splattered windshield after he'd found a vacant spot in the hospital's parking lot. He started hard at the center of his steering wheel and then turned his head to look at Mercedes. She looked a little upset, but mostly attentive to what he was telling her.

"I really do love you, Mercedes—and not just because you're carrying our child. You're smart, funny, sassy, beautiful, and I'll be damned if I ever forget how sexy you looked in that outfit for _Chicago_…you're all these great things that make me wanna be around you so I can learn more about you. Like how you make this little pouty face when you're sleeping, or how you like to have bagels for breakfast on the weekends because your dad would go out and get them for you and your brother when you were kids…stuff like that about you matters to me. I just want us to get to know more of the little things about each other like couples do when they live together and spend time together."

He realized that he'd been talking a lot—more than he'd meant to, so he quieted himself and swallowed, "But I told you before that I wasn't gonna force you to. I just…I needed you to know why I'd brought it up to you the other week at the hospital. I'd thought about it a bit before the doctor brought it up but…I just want you to know for me, you moving in wouldn't just be about the baby."

Mercedes cast a sad smile at Sam; she let him hold onto her hand a little bit longer and then quietly told him, "Thank you, Sam. I promise once I know for sure what I'm gonna do, I'll tell you."

It would be a lie for him to say he wasn't half hoping for her to have made her mind up right then, but he took her answer with understanding and nodded, leaning over to meet her halfway for a kiss. When their lips broke apart, she was smiling and reaching for her umbrella. "Come on—we better get going or we're gonna be late."

Sam smiled faintly and followed her actions to get out of the car. Before this conversation, he was sure that Mercedes was going to move in, but now that he knew his parents had put their two cents in, he wasn't so confident. He tried to remind himself of what he'd told Puck the other night—now wasn't the time to be pushing ultimatums or stressing her out, and while he did his best to keep that note at the forefront of his mind, he also worried himself for a moment, wondering if what all he'd told her would stress her out anyway. Her colleges were going to contact her any day now, the trial for the lawsuit was at the end of the month, and the baby was three months away from arriving…

"Saaaam?"

He blinked rapidly and snapped his head in Mercedes' direction, "Huh?"

She giggled hesitantly, "Are you okay? I called your name like…three times."

He automatically smiled at her, "Yeah, I just got distracted."

Right then, she stopped walking, bringing him to a halt as well. Her free hand came up to cup his cheek; he could see the concern in her eyes as she gazed up at him.

"I'm fine, Stormy—I promise."

She smiled sadly at him again and asked, "You know I really do love you too, right?"

His lips stretched across his face, "I do."

"Good." Her smile turned into a more brilliant one than before, "Because no one else has been as amazing, cute, funny, and thoughtful towards me as you have."

Sam's green hues lingered on her face and teasingly ask, "You think I'm cute?"

She let out a peal of soft giggles and playfully pushed his shoulder, "_Yes_. Maybe a few shades of sexy too." Her gloved finger brushed flirtatiously under his stubbly chin before she turned and continued on to the hospital entrance.

Meanwhile, Sam stared after her for a moment—his cheeks and ears burning bright red. _Well that's one way to turn a body's mood around_, he thought to himself, feeling a bit more buoyant than just a moment ago.

* * *

They sat in one of the examination rooms waiting anxiously for Dr. Brenner to show up. Just as before, Sam was sitting on the left side of the exam bed holding Mercedes' gloves and rain coat in his lap with his right hand holding her left. He smiled when Mercedes looked to him and asked, "What do you think it is?"

"I told you, I dunno." He chuckled softly.

"Just take a guess—boy or girl?"

For a moment Sam stared pensively at the floor and then when he looked back to her he said, "Girl."

She smiled a bit wider at him, "Me too."

"But I'm gonna be stoked either way," he added.

"Me too," She said again.

He grinned now; when a couple of knocks happened on the door, he reacted by giving Mercedes' hand a gentle squeeze. Dr. Brenner entered the room and greeted them and while she washed her hands at the small sink, she looked over her shoulder at Sam. "So I see the boyfriend thing's working out for you after all?"

Sam and Mercedes both laughed but Sam said, "Yeah, so far so good."

"Well good," replied Dr. Brenner with a satisfied smile. "Let's keep it that way, hm?"

"I'm hoping."

"And how are you, Mercedes?"

Mercedes smiled at her doctor but Sam could tell she was still fairly anxious like he was. "I'm good. It's just harder to sleep at night lately because the baby's usually kicking, or I can't get comfortable."

"Unfortunately, you're in for a lot of restless nights for quite some time. Baby's sleeping and active periods are unpredictable at this time, but I usually recommend a few things to my patients. First, consider purchasing a body pillow. Some women are used to being able to lie on their stomachs when they go to bed, but since you're no longer able to do that, you'll want to make yourself as comfortable on your sides or your back as you possibly can and body pillows can assist with that. The other thing is journaling; are you keeping a journal?"

Sam looked from the doctor to his girlfriend as she shook her head, "No?"

"Well, journaling is a nice thing to do throughout a pregnancy, whether you're up and around during the day or it's late and you can't get to sleep. You can document the number of kicks you feel, names you've been considering, or random thoughts you've been having over the duration—fears, dislikes, cravings, hopes, etcetera. And the other thing you can do is try playing some music or singing to your baby."

As Dr. Brenner explained all of this to Mercedes, and to Sam, she sat down at Mercedes' right, preparing the ultrasound. She allowed the machine to warm up a bit and after Mercedes lifted her top and unzipped her jeans, Dr. Brenner squeezed some gel on her stomach and moved the transducer around, finding the baby almost instantly this time.

"Thanks, Dr. Brenner. I'll try all that," said Mercedes.

"Also, you might experience what's called Braxton Hicks. Do you recall me telling you about them when you were here the other week?"

Sam nodded with Mercedes, even though she was the one being spoken to.

"Don't be surprised or alarm if you start experiencing these from now until the end of your third trimester. Your body's just trying to prepare itself for the actual labor, but Braxton Hicks usually aren't that painful. If you're worried however, feel free to call, or come in and we'll have a look at you."

After a comprehensive nod from Mercedes, Dr. Brenner's eyes went back to the screen. Sam was also watching as she pointed out the baby's obvious head, and then moved her finger to indicate the right shoulder and one of the baby's hands.

"Looks like he or she's taken to thumb-sucking."

Sam chuckled with a mused grin; Mercedes was giggling at the sight.

"I think they have your nose…" Sam quietly thought aloud, never taking his eyes off the screen.

"What?" said Mercedes with a bright smile on her face.

Sam merely nodded for her to look back at the screen instead of him. He believed absolutely that the contours of the baby's nose matched Mercedes' button nose perfectly.

"Yeah, kinda," She said, but when he looked at her he could tell she was just being modest—there was no mistaking their baby's nose.

For a minute, Dr. Brenner left the transducer close to the baby's upper body and adjusted the volume so that they could hear the heartbeat again. Following Mercedes and Sam's awed reactions, she spoke again. "Still a beautiful, strong heartbeat. And your baby looks like a healthy size. Would you like to see if we can determine the sex this time?"

"Yes!" they both said in near-perfect unison.

Dr. Brenner smiled for a moment and moved the transducer down Mercedes' belly. "Hopefully he or she won't be too shy this time," she said, twisting the white wand back and forth.

"Um, Dr. Brenner, how accurate are things when it comes to determining the baby's sex?" asked Sam.

A trace of a smile appeared and then vanished from the doctor's face, "Not to toot my own horn, Sam, but let's just say I've been doing this for a long time, and haven't been wrong yet. So if I'm wrong today, your baby will be a first."

Sam smiled crookedly. He could feel his insides growing jittery with anticipation. Each time that he got to feel the baby kick, or see its silhouette on the sonogram, or hear its heartbeat, it made everything feel so much more real to him. He would grow that much more excited, anxious, scared and eager for the baby's arrival.

"Well Mercedes, Sam, unless I've lost my touch, it looks like you two can expect a baby boy this June."

Sam's lips melted into a small smile that completely contradicted the magnanimous bliss that was swelling inside his body. He let the news soak into his brain and eventually ran a hand down his face; when his hand moved past his lips he had a much wider smile across his face.

"A boy…" he whispered.

He felt Mercedes squeeze his hand and when he looked down at her, her eyes were filled with tears but he didn't need to ask her what was wrong because he already knew. _Nothing_ was wrong. They were going to have a son in three month's time.

* * *

_**Please, please, PLEASE leave reviews! You know I love to read them! What did you think about Sam and Puck's talk on the future? Kurt and Mercedes' talk on Samcedes living together? Samcedes discussing their current non-living together situation? And of course, are you excited that their baby's a boy? Any guesses on Sam's embarrassing on what Captain Underpants story is about? There's loads that happened in this chapter so I'm hoping to read your feedback on it all! More is coming soon, and thank you for your patience while I plow through this crazy work schedule of mine! 8 work days in a row is a first for me, but I'm still going to do my best to stay on top of my fanfics. Anyway, thanks for reading & I apologize for any errors! More is coming, of course! Triple date, here we come!**_


	26. Chapter 26

_**A/N: Just sending some more love to all of you who've been reading this story, reviewing it, checking off alerts/favorites for it. Much appreciated and thanks again for your patience! Also, I think it's adorable that some of you have been referring to Sam and Mercedes by their superhero nicknames in your reviews (Stormy and Cap). Makes me smile like it did in "Flash Forward" with Sam's 'Benz' nickname for Mercedes. Anywho, enjoy Chapter 26! Sorry for any errors!**_

**March 2012**

Mercedes' stood in front of the body mirror in her bedroom, clad only in her bra and a pair of bright red leggings. She kept turning from one side and then the other with her eyes glued on the reflection of her baby bump and smiled softly while recalling her and Sam at the appointment yesterday, and their time afterward. Sam had been over the moon when they found out they were having a boy; he'd asked Dr. Brenner to go back so they could see the baby sucking his thumb again. She had been so overcome with emotion over the news of them having a boy that she struggled to see his sonogram but she_ was _able to clearly make out Sam's rapture.

After the appointment, Sam brought her home so she could share the news with her parents, and he returned to his place to call his own mom and dad. She thought her mom would never stop hugging her and rubbing her stomach, and when her dad came home from work, he'd shown his reserved form of excitement—a reaction Mercedes expected. And though she had never fully calmed down from her happiness, she did relax enough to let herself think on the talk she and Sam had before the appointment. Her answer hadn't become much clearer, even now as she pulled on a black and red checkered wife beater in preparation for their triple date, but she also couldn't stop thinking about whether or not she was going to move in with Sam. She'd been receiving sound advice from her parents, his parents, her best friends, and then Sam shared his reasons; she felt pulled towards taking a leap and making the move, yet she had her reasons for pausing.

She looked down at her stomach and sighed, "What should I do, Little Man?"

Her son hadn't kicked but she felt him moving around a little bit.

"Well, I wanna move in with your daddy, but…" she sat down on the corner of her bed and let out a sigh, "I'm afraid I'd be making a mistake." Her hand slowly rubbed over her stomach as she spoke on. "Don't get me wrong—your daddy's…more than I can describe. We haven't known each other too long but…I'm pretty sure I'm in love with your daddy. He's silly, sweet, caring, fun to be around, and sometimes he does this impressions, like that one time he talked to you with his Mufasa voice. But you'll learn more about that after you get here… But even with all of that, I can't help waiting for him to mess up, and be less than what he's been."

Mercedes shook her head and sighed again, "I know that's wrong and I shouldn't think that way but…if you knew who I'd been with before your daddy, you'd know why I feel like this." A sour look overcame her features for the brief moment she'd thought of Shane, but it was easy for her to expel thoughts of him and go back to thinking about Sam and their son. "The only flaw I've seen with your daddy is that he's always trying to do things for me all the time. I mean…he gave me a job, he got me a scholarship through Marvel…And…I know it seems stupid for me to complain about it, and he's got more of a reason to do things for me now with you being so close to getting here but...one thing you oughta know about your mommy is that she likes being able to do things for herself a lot of the time." She softly giggled, "So it could get interesting between your daddy and I if we're living under one roof."

For a long moment, Mercedes paused. A tight feeling was compressing in her chest and before it happened, she could feel the ducts In her eyes preparing for some tears.

"He loves you so much already, Little Man, and he…" her voice started to waver and her eyes were watering, "he's been wanting you for a long while…"

She sniffled and brought a hand from her rounding belly to her face as a tear rolled down her cheek. Her voice dropped to a whisper, "He's got so much love, and I wanna be around to see him share it with you."

Her head hung over her protruding belly while she let herself cry a few hopeful tears. But when her phone buzzed beside her, she forced herself to gain some composure, long enough for her to read the "_On my way_," text from Sam. He only lived a few minutes away, so after receiving the message, she stood from her bed, checked herself again in the mirror, and then headed to her bathroom to clean up her face and re-apply her make-up. Talking things out—even though it was a one-sided conversation—proved to be more helpful for her than she had ever imagined. Despite all that was still to come for her—responses from colleges, the lawsuit, preparations for the baby's arrival, and deciding on which college to attend—she felt momentarily at ease, more so than she had in a while.

* * *

Sam parked in the nearest available stall and stepped out, tugging on drawstrings of his pale red hoodie. He looked around and saw Mercedes' Equinox, and then saw her standing beneath the restaurant's overhang. While walking towards her, he smiled, admiring her very red outfit and when he got close to her he chuckled, "We match."

She blinked, took a look at his black v-neck, red hoodie and blue jeans, and then broke out in soft giggles, "They're gonna think we planned this."

"It's like we're a couple or something," he joked, earning himself a playful swat on the shoulder. Grinning, he took hold of her hand and asked, "Are your friends already here?"

"Mhm, I told them I was gonna wait out here for you."

Flattered and a little guilty, he told her, "Thanks—sorry I was running a little late. I uh…took a little longer in the shower than I'd planned but, then again…I didn't really plan to get paint in my hair." His free hand reached up and flicked a few strands of damp blond hair.

"Paint?" she reached up and brushed a few bits of his bangs from his eyes.

He nodded, "Yeah I was finishing up the walls in the squirt's room.

Mercedes gasped happily as they turned towards the restaurant entrance, "Ooo I wanna see it after lunch!"

"Uh-uh, Stormy. I told you already—I want it to be a surprise."

Mercedes bottom lip jutted out slightly, to which Sam poked it back in, "Puck and I are making this our little surprise project for you. You'll see it before the shower, I promise."

He held the door open for her and followed her in, hand-in-hand. Once they were inside, Sam's eyes moved about the room until he spotted Kurt, sitting next to a dark-haired brunette whom Sam presumed was his boyfriend. To his right were the backs of the heads another male and a female. "Is that Tina and Mike?" he whispered.

Mercedes nodded looking up at him, "Mhm, and Blaine—Kurt's boyfriend. He went to Dalton Academy but he graduated last year and goes to Ohio State."

When they reached the foursome, Kurt popped up immediately and rushed over to greet Mercedes. Tina followed shortly after and then broke away to approach him.

"And you're Sam, I hope?" she asked with a bright smile.

Sam smiled back, holding his hand out, "Sam I am."

As Tina shook his hand, she held her free one out across the table, "Nice to finally meet you! This is my boyfriend, Mike."

"How's it going?" asked Mike as he stood and shook Sam's hand.

"And this is _my_ boyfriend, Blaine Anderson," Kurt proudly stated.

Sam smirked, shaking Blaine's hand next but his question was directed to Kurt. "He doesn't have a funky nickname too?"

Blaine's brows furrowed, "Huh?"

Mercedes giggled and Kurt rolled his eyes, "Sure he does—just none that we share in public."

"Ew! Kurt, stop," urged Mercedes, shaking her head. "It'd be waaay too easy for me to gag this awesome Panera bread you guys kept talking about."

"Speaking of," said Tina, "Let's go order—I'm starrrving!"

The girls abandoned their purses and walked with the four men to form a line at the relatively quiet restaurant. Kurt talked Mercedes into trying their Chicken Caesar Salad; Blaine and Tina went with soup and Mike and Sam ordered sandwiches. They all went to the drink fountains to pick out their beverages in between Mike and Sam's immediate bond with Blaine over up and coming _Avengers_ movie.

Blaine said, "I really think Mark Ruffalo's gonna be a good Bruce Banner, but it sucks they couldn't get Edward Norton to come back for the role."

"Yeaaah, but have you seen Scarlett Johansson in that cat suit?" Mike clutched at his chest and pretended to swoon while Sam chuckled and Blaine shook his head at them.

"Um, excuse me?" spoke Tina, smacking her hand against Mike's chest.

Sam stared at Mike's guilty face and quietly laughed as Mike rushed to wrap his arms around his girlfriend. "What?" he innocently asked.

Tina shrugged away so she could look up in his eyes, "So if Mercedes and I start talking about how sexy Chris Evans is, you'd be totally cool with that?"

"Who?" asked Mercedes, causing Tina to briefly gawk at her.

"Hey," interjected Kurt, shooting a curious gaze at Sam, "You wouldn't happen to be related to him, would you?"

All eyes went to Sam with similarly curious gazes, making him laugh nervously, "If I am, I've never seen him at the holidays."

They all laughed but he looked to Mercedes who was wearing her contagious smile and leaning against his shoulder. He smiled down at her and brought his arm around the middle of her back while the six returned to their conjoined tables, waiting for their given pagers to go off. He quietly whispered, "How are you feeling?" in her ear.

"I'm good," she answered softly, holding his hand beneath the table.

"Well, I hate to interrupt because you two are just…adorable," spoke Blaine, propping his chin on his bridged fingers. "How did you two meet?"

"I told you this already, Blaine," Kurt said as Sam and Mercedes exchanged bashful gazes. "Remember the weekend we went up to your parent's cabin?"

"Kurt did you already forget Mercedes' gag warning?" asked Tina.

Mercedes giggled softly, "Thanks Tina."

"Ohh that's right—you babysat Justine for me, I remember now."

"Uh-huh, well Sam and I were both at the park babysitting that weekend."

Sam smiled, "Yeah and all of a sudden I see Mercedes chasing after some papers, so I went to help her catch them."

"And Sam was trying to be funny, asking me something about…what was it?"

His smile raised on one side, "_Arkham City_ cheat codes."

"_Arkham City_?" Mike perked up, "As in Batman: _Arkham City_? Aw man—it's such a boss game!"

"I know!" Sam quickly agreed. "Dude, have you played it as Catwoman yet?"

"Aaand we're back to the superheroes," mumbled Kurt with a defeatist tone, earning him light rubs on his back from Blaine.

Tina rolled her eyes and cast an amused look at Mercedes while their boyfriends prattled on about the game. She leaned across the table to whisper to her friend, "I _told_ you they'd click."

"Girl we picked up some aliens for boyfriends ," she replied with a smirk.

They both giggled softly and watched with amusement; Mike and Sam bantered back and forth about the Batman game, and then started chatting about Sam's comic book career until their restaurant pagers all started to buzz. Sam picked up the one for him and Mercedes and stood, "I'll get it."

Soon after, Mike and Blaine followed him and Tina got up to re-fill her drink. Kurt scooted down a couple chairs until he was sitting in Tina's spot, directly across Mercedes. His blue eyes pierced her face as he said, "Okay, I've been as patient as I can be but it's high time to you fessed up, Ebs."

Mercedes, knowing exactly what he was referring to, grinned coyly at him, "Hold your horses, Ivory—I said this morning that I'd tell you_ and_ Tina at the same time. And don't you think Mike and Blaine should know? They're my friends too."

Kurt waved off the idea, "Tina and I can tell them or they can celebrate with us after you've told us but come on Mercedes!" He bounced eagerly up and down in his seat like a kid desperate to enter Disneyland. "Just tell meee!"

"Tell you what?" asked Tina, returning from the beverage counter. She immediately gasped after asking, "Oh! 'Cedes, yeah you needa tell us what you're having!"

She immediately took the seat beside Kurt so that she could look at Mercedes with the same anxious gaze.

"Oh, but did you and Sam figure out the whole living thing?" Tina wondered.

Mercedes shook her head at them, "Not yet. I want to but I'm still not 100% sure."

Tina nodded, "You might never be that sure on something so big, Mercedes. But hey, I was thinking about it after you'd told me…what if you and Sam do like a trial run of living together? See how it goes for a little bit and if it feels right—make it a long-lasting thing. If it doesn't, then you can just move back home."

The idea seemed so simple and brilliant—Mercedes wondered why ithadn't been thought of before. "Tina have I told you lately that you're the bomb?"

Tina grinned, but Kurt waved them off, "Yay, that's all dandy but back to the baby's sex! What is it—boy or girl?"

Mercedes opened her smiling mouth to finally fill her friends in.

"What is this—musical chairs?" asked Mike.

Mercedes, Tina and Kurt all looked up to see their boyfriends standing behind the vacant chairs with food trays in their hands. Sam shrugged and re-claimed his seat to Mercedes' left while Mike resigned to the seat next to Tina, rather than being across from her as he'd been before, leaving Blaine the seat to Sam's left. They divvyed out the food but Kurt and Tina left theirs untouched; their eyes were still waiting on Mercedes.

She stared at them for a moment and then laughed, "Okay, okay."

Sam's brows shot up, "Um…okay what'd we miss?"

Gaining control on her laughs, Mercedes told him, "Kurt and Tina wanna know if we're having a boy or a girl and they're waiting for me to tell them."

Sam held his sandwich to his mouth but paused before taking a bite. His mouth was hanging open, ready to chomp down but he quickly transformed it into an amused smile, "What? Are you gonna make them wait 'til the shower or something?"

Mercedes hadn't taken her eyes off of Tina and Kurt; she saw the panic flash across their faces and decided to tease them. "Y'know, that's not a bad ide—"

"NO!" roared Kurt and Tina in unison.

Sam and Mercedes both laughed—Mercedes, more so, to the point where she was holding her stomach.

"Mercedes Nichelle Jones, we've known each other since we were in Pull-Ups!" Kurt stated in a dark, rapid tone. "Tell me, or I'm gonna start spilling some stories so Sam can get to know you better."

Mercedes froze and Sam's smirk widened into a teeth-bearing grin, "Now _that's_ not a bad idea, considering she's already got one embarrassing story—that I know of, on me."

He pursed his lips together in a failed attempt to contain his smile, the moment Mercedes shot him a look.

"It's a boy," she admitted, gaining gasps and squeals from Kurt and Tina.

"Aww, congratulations, you guys!" said Blaine.

"Yeah congrats, 'Cedes!" chimed in Mike. "You too, Sam!"

"I knew it!" Kurt gushed. "I told you I'm psychic, Ebs!"

"Ebs?" wondered Sam.

"It's our nicknames for each other," Kurt quickly explained with a flick of his wrist. "Ebony and Ivory."

"Oh like the Paul McCartney song?"

Mercedes nodded, "Yeah, kinda."

"Hey so now that you know it's a boy, has that helped you figure out a name?" asked Tina.

"Nah, I think it made us open up more options," chuckled Sam, "only…now they're all boys' names."

"But," spoke Mercedes, "Asher and Sully are still my favorites."

"And I like them too but I also still like Lukas, and Xavier's growing on me too."

Tina and Blaine chuckled, and Mercedes said, "We'll figure one out before he gets here."

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! What'd you think about Mercedes' one-sized conversation she had with her baby? How about the triple date? Did you like it? Unfortunately this chapter didn't wrap up the way I wanted it to but I felet bad for my delay on getting this published for you all to read. However! Cutting this off where I did allowed me to get a jumpstart on Chapter 27, which will likely be the last "March" chapter! Is the pace working for you? Let me know! Leave me love, and as always, THANK YOU for reading! More is coming soon! (I've got a day off and will be doing as much writing as I can).**_


	27. Chapter 27

**March 2012**

Mercedes sat on her bed—her hair in a half up, half down 'do, gazing intently at the envelopes in her hands. She already knew what they said, yet she still hadn't opened them to affirm what was printed on them. By now, it was known to almost any person applying to a university that if the envelope was an average, three-quarter length and felt practically weightless, it was a rejection letter. However, if it came in perfectly un-creased, 8-by-10 envelope with folders and packets included, then congratulations—you'd been accepted. At the moment, Mercedes had two envelops in her hand: one from UCLA, and one from New York University.

Sitting beside her was the largest suitcase she owned, half filled with her colorful pants and tops. She and Sam decided to give Tina's suggestion a try, the week after their triple date as per Sam's suggestion of letting the paint fumes clear out of the house. And after the weekend of his mom and her mom bustling in and out of the Jones' home things had finally calmed down again and Mercedes had been on a roll with her packing, but her mom called her in between showing houses and reminded her about checking the mail. And here she sat—all the bills and department store ads were abandoned on the kitchen counter, but two of her four college choices had their acceptance letters included with it all. She had already phoned her mom and dad, knowing that they would want to know right away; unfortunately she hadn't shared their enthusiasm for celebrating the news.

UCLA had been her first choice for most of her junior year and the initial months of her senior year, but NYU became more appealing when she found out Kurt was applying for an arts school there. Still, she used to remind herself that in the end it was her dreams that mattered and she was going to have to pursue them in the place that would give her the best shot at making them happen. But how was she supposed to think of such things now that she had a baby on the way? What was that going to mean for her and Sam? She couldn't see him uprooting his life for her, just because she wanted to major in music. It was a conflict, long-coming but she'd been holding it off until now—until the letters actually came and determined if she could even allow herself this conflict.

_Ding-dong!_

Mercedes' head raised immediately; at the same time, she felt the baby begin to move and instantly brought her hand to her stomach. She had completely lost track of time, not knowing just how long she had been sitting and staring at the un-opened envelopes, but it was enough time to make her forget that Sam was coming over to help bring her things downstairs and to her car.

She drew in a number of deep breaths her entire trek down the stairs until she reached the front door.

"Afternoon, Beautiful," Sam said in a chipper tone. But she saw the light dim from his face, undoubtedly seeing her morose features. "What's wrong?"

Drawing in another deep breath, Mercedes stepped aside and sighed, "Come in."

Sam stepped through the threshold but hadn't taken his eyes off of her. "What happened, Mercedes?"

"I'll show you," she replied, leading the way back up to her room. When they got there, she sat back down on the bed and handed the two envelopes to Sam. She watched his expression start at loud confusion and then quickly transform into solemn silence.

"They just came today…" she quietly told him. Her gaze went to the floor for a moment, only to come right back to his face.

He looked at her, "You didn't open them."

"No…not yet, but I already know they're acceptance letters."

"Are you gonna go to one of them?"

She bit her lip, picking up on the obvious devastation in his voice.

"Sam…I—"

"Mercedes, please."

Her eyes narrowed a fraction at his curt tone. "What's wrong with you? I didn't even answer you yet! I'm just trying to process this."

"Well what's there to process? Because it looks to me like you've already made up your mind. You answer the door looking like someone ran over your dog. Then I come up here and you're not finished packing, and you hand me these!" He held up the letters.

Mercedes ground her teeth together, fighting back the building tears. "I wanted to _talk_ to you about them!" She countered.

"Mercedes, I…" he huffed an angry sigh, "I can't just up and leave my grandparents' home. I don't know how we were planning to make this work when it came to you choosing a college that wasn't OSU but selling that home would break my mom's heart, and bailing on Puck for New York or California would make our collaboration almost impossible—I know now's not the time to be stressing you out and I'm not trying to but I can't just sit on this until after June when you're going to have to make your mind up sooner than th—"

Mercedes pinched her fingers along the bridge of her nose. She stood up from the bed, "Wow," and placed her hands on her hips, "You know…I wasn't gonna ask you to sell your grandparents' home and follow me to LA or New York. I didn't ask you to leave your best friend and your career behind. I haven't asked you for anything, Sam! And I didn't say I was leaving Ohio because you're too busy jumping the gun!" She sniffled and struggled to get her words out while trying to stay stern, half-yelling at him.

"I showed you the letters because I wanted you to be in the loop! I don't know what I'm going to do with my college plans now! When I applied to them, I hadn't accounted on being a mom by the fall! I didn't seriously consider going to OSU before, but you know what? Plans changed! Things changed—_I'm_ changing! I'm trying to figure things out—" Her words cut off as she choked on a sob but she pushed through to talk to him. "But right now you're making me feel more alone in this than ever…"

Sam reached out to her with a sympathetic look but she stepped back with her hands up, shaking her head. "I'm sorry you're freaking out right now—really, I am. I just…I'm a little overwhelmed right now." Her voice trembled badly, "I mean six months ago…if someone had told me, 'Hey so… over the next year you're going to get into the schools you wanted to go to, but… you'll also be having a baby and moving in with your new boyfriend. Oh! One more thing! You'll have to testify in a lawsuit too for some dumbass doctor's mistake!' Did I forget anything? Because if someone told me all this six months ago, I would've looked at them like they lost their damn mind." She shook her head, wiping fresh tears away and cast a weak, short-lasting sarcastic smile up at Sam. "So…yeah, it's just a little overwhelming for me right now but you go ahead and keep laying into me right now. Really, because that's _exactly_ what I need from you, Sam."

She went to step around him and leave the room, but she felt Sam's fingertips graze and then grip her arm and listened to him say, "Wait, Mercedes."

"I have nothing else to say, Sam," she whispered with a ragged breath.

"But_ I_ do, and I don't wanna table this and end up not talking to you for another three weeks because I've upset you."

Her lips pursed together and her gaze lowered to her rounding stomach; the baby was kicking away again and she slowly rubbed, hoping to calm him. When she glanced back up, Sam was also looking at her stomach but his gaze quickly went to her face.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have spun off like that." He scowled at the floor and bitterly muttered, "My parents are right…I _do_ rush into things. And I'm sorry I reacted like I did. And…I wanna say I'm sorry for all that you're going through, and I _am _sorry you're going through so much at once but at the same time…I'm not. I'm glad we met and even though it's not typical, I wouldn't trade what we've been through for anything." He hugged her close and after kissing the top of her head he whispered, "Just remember that you aren't going through this all alone, okay? I don't want you to feel like you are."

"I know," She sniffled again. "I'm glad for that." After wriggling away slightly so that she could look up at him, she cast another sad smile at him and asked, "You have to remember that too? Next time you wanna fly off the handle and explode on assumptions, you need to check yourself first, okay?" Her hands came up to gently cup either side of his face, "That's an order, Captain."

Sam's fingers wove between hers and kissed away her remaining tears, "Yes ma'am." He smiled sadly—one that didn't reach his eyes, "I'm sorry, Storm."

"I know you are. I knew under this perfect amazing dork exterior was a human being."

He chuckled and shook his head at her, "I'm far from perfect, Stormy—you know that."

"Fine but amazing dork is still accurate."

She giggled softly and scrunched up her nose once he poked it.

"Just…we'll take things as they come." As he said this, a sense of déjà vu prickled her. It was a reminder she didn't know she needed until it had come.

Mercedes nodded, "I just…can_not_ take anymore blow ups or ambushes. The trial's next week, I still haven't heard from Morris Brown _or_ OSU." Her hands lowered from his face and she led him over to sit on the bed with her. "Before I got pregnant and decided to keep the baby…I wondered what I was gonna do about college. I spent a long time thinking about it, and…even if you and I hadn't gotten close like we did, or hadn't found out how the baby tied us together, there was no way I was gonna be able to raise this baby in LA or New York—not being so far away from my parents. I mean if I went to New York, Kurt offered to help me but…helping me raise this baby's not his burden to bear. And if I went to LA, it'd just be me. So, I couldn't do that. I had to put all that aside for him." Her head bowed towards her belly where her hands were resting. "I'm not giving up on my dream…I still wanna sing and inspire people through my songs, but…it's just gonna have to wait. If I get into OSU, Sam, I'm gonna stay here because this isn't about me anymore. Things aren't how I thought they were gonna be when I first decided to keep him. This little boy _does_ have his daddy, and grandparents, and an aunt and uncles in his life, ready to love and help raise him."

Sam's hand came over one of hers but she swapped so that he could feel the baby's kicks more directly. "I'm sorry I blew up on you."

"I forgive you," she replied with an exhausted lean against his side. "And I don't wanna argue anymore. I know we've had a lot to talk out and sort through, and we'll have more to discuss as things come up but…I don't wanna talk anymore—not now. I just want a break."

A moment later, she felt Sam's hand gently slip out from beneath hers. His long fingers caressed her chin, causing her to look up at him; seconds later, her lips were locked with his. She drew a gasping breath in through her nose and closed her eyes, trying to let herself dissolve their momentary tension and enjoy _this_. After taking turns capturing one another's lips, Sam slowly pulled his lips away from her pair just enough for him to utter, "I love you, Storm."

Against his lips, she whispered back, "I love you too, Captain."

* * *

After another hour at the Jones' estate, he waited for Mercedes to get her things together and helped her load them up to come to his house. He did his best to mask the guilt he'd felt for losing composure and snapping at her over her college acceptance letters. Deep down he'd known that the letters would be coming soon—hell, he had just said so to Puck recently. However, it hadn't been enough to keep him from spewing his fears in the unintentionally abrasive way he'd gone about it. Having reduced Mercedes to tears for a second time in the six months that he'd gotten to know her made him feel awful, but this time felt far worse for him than the first time. This time he knew he'd overreacted and knew that he had been in the wrong for broaching the subject in such a rough-shot manner.

Mercedes' words kept echoing in his ears the entire drive back to his home, however; _I haven't asked you for anything, Sam!_ The more he thought it over, the more he realized how true it was. He'd been the one to offer her the job. He showered her with most of her birthday gifts in the basket. He opened the discussion of them moving in together, right after the doctor brought it up. He was the one to practically ask her to stay in Ohio after the way he'd reacted to her two acceptance letters. And while he hadn't thought what he had done for her was necessarily bad, it did make him reflect on giving her opportunities in the future to _ask_ him for her help from time to time, or for him to ask her rather than for him to always insist or proceed without running things by her first. And again, he found himself partially blaming his past relationship history for why he hadn't realized this sooner. He had been so used to having to constantly dote and cater that he hadn't realized his possibility of suffocating Mercedes.

The difference however, was that Mercedes was someone who deserved the doting and catering. Pregnant or not, he could tell how much of a self-sufficient _woman _she was. She never seemed to be a delicate flower, nor was she a tough-as-nails woman who would always refuse a man's help or tenderness. She was someone who was just snug in the middle—capable of independence, but worthy of the tenderness of a thorn-less rose. She was truly special, and he hoped to God he would never screw up the good thing that they were building together.

By the time they arrived at the cottage, he decided he was going to make it his personal mission to work on that from now on—finding that balance for the right moments with the woman he loved.

"Are you sure there's gonna be room for my stuff?"

Sam smirked at her, "Don't worry—there's room." He grabbed the top handle of her suitcase, pulled it out of the trunk of her car, and slung her two duffle bags over his shoulders. "I made room in my drawers and most of my closet space was free already."

He thanked her when she held the front door open for him, and as he followed her up the stairs he said, "No peeking in the nursery by the way."

Mercedes paused near the top of the staircase and turned to show him her frown, "Not even a little—"

"_No_, Stormy."

Her nose wrinkled up and she stuck her tongue out at him; he laughed at her moment of childishness. When they reached the master bedroom, he'd let her take in the slight changes he'd made. For one, he'd changed the comforter set from navy to a white and black striped set. And with it still being light outside, the open curtains and pale blue walls illuminated the entire space. He set her bags down near the dresser while watching her approach the window.

"It's funny…I've been coming here for months and I've never seen the backyard."

"Really? Never?"

Mercedes chuckled, "No. I mean I saw a little bit once through the kitchen window when you, Puck and I were having lunch but…I didn't know you had a pool."

Sam smiled and wandered over to stand beside her. "Yeah…that's kind of how Puck and I became good friends. He had a pool cleaning business during high school, and when I moved out here with my family, my grandparents kept talking about getting the pool cemented over; they were getting too old to keep up with it. Puck overheard me talking about it to some guys on the football team and told me about his business. I referred him to my grandparents, and because they considered him a friend of mine, they paid him a little extra. We've been friends ever since."

He glanced down as she smiled up at him, "That's good you were able to help them keep the pool."

"Well…I think it ended up working out better for me than my grandparents," he admitted with a soft chuckle. "I was like a fish whenever we came over! I love to swim."

"Me too."

His lips smiled crookedly, "Well…when this rainy weather stops coming and going, I'll pull the tarp and we'll go for a swim."

"If I can fit into my suit!" she replied with a hearty laugh. "But, I'd really love to go sometime."

"Then we'll make it happen. For now, let's find a place for your clothes and stuff."

Her hand raised to salute him, "Aye, aye, Captain!"

He chuckled, rolling his eyes at her and headed to the closet to show her all the space she'd have for her clothes and shoes. "Want help putting your stuff away?"

Mercedes nodded, "Yes, please. And I still have to get my music and art stuff from the front seat of my car."

"Alright, how about I go get that and you start giving your clothes and shoes a home up here?"

"Okay."

By the time they finished getting her things settled, Mercedes had curled up on the bed—the same side he'd noticed she was in when she stayed over the first time.

"You're not hungry?" he asked, taking a seat near her feet.

She shook her head against her body pillow, "I'm more tired than hungry right now."

"I can make you something when you get up," he offered, pulling her brown slipper shoes off her feet. He smirked to himself, watching her wiggle her sock-covered toes back and forth.

"Would you?" she mumbled.

He gave her feet a gentle massage, one at a time, "Sure. What would you want?" When she replied, he wasn't sure if he'd heard her right. His brows furrowed, "Hot sauce?"

She nodded, "Mhm, do you have any?"

"Uhh…yeah but…hot sauce isn't exactly food."

"I know," she mumbled back, sounding more and more sleepy with each word that left her mouth. "Can you put it in some mac 'n cheese?"

He swallowed back the chuckle that nearly erupted from his throat, "You want mac 'n cheese with hot sauce?"

"Mm—mhm, it's good."

Sam bit his lip, grateful her eyes were shut to the amused look on his face. They'd had macaroni and cheese a dozen times on their lunch breaks with Puck; _never_ had he known her to want hot sauce on mac 'n cheese before. "Sure thing, Stormy," he answered lowly. He continued rubbing her feet gently, until he heard soft snores coming from her. While his hands gently let her feet alone, his eyes were watching her slumbering face, admiring the way her wavy hair fell around her peaceful face; how her heart-shaped lips barely settled against one another and how her nose would occasionally give the faintest twitch. Even in slumber, she was extremely adorable and beautiful.

As he stood up from the bed, he ran a hand through his hair and momentarily debated between getting some work done in the nursery and lying next to her. Resigning to logical thought, he decided to tend to the nursery, knowing that he would have the opportunity to cuddle with Mercedes later that evening. For the time being, he settled on kneeling down in front of her and craning his neck to press a delicate kiss to her forehead. His left hand went to her stomach and after giving it a meaningful gaze, he stood up and left the room as quietly as possible.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! I know there was a lot of talking and internal thought in this chapter and not a whole lot of action going on, but I hope to make up for that in the next chapter! ;) What did you think of this chapter though? Anything you're looking forward to potentially seeing in the future? Let me know! More is coming, of course! And as always, thanks for the love!**_


	28. Chapter 28

_**A/N: Thanks for the lovely reviews everyone! Much appreciated as always. I apologize for any spelling/grammar errors. As much of a stickler as I usually am, I know I've been lagging a bit on my frequent updates, so I've been breezing through my read-throughs/edits so that I can get the chapters published for you. Anyway…enjoy!**_

**April 2012**

Although almost two weeks had passed since Mercedes' trial live-in time with Sam began, she did feel far more at ease so far, than she thought she would. If asked, cuddling with Sam had become her favorite part of them being under one roof. She'd gotten him hooked on _Shark Tank_ after they watched one episode of it together, and he sat through her obsession, _Once Upon A Time_, as well as two episodes of _General Hospital_. In return, he introduced her to a few of his favorite shows—_House_, _Family Guy_, _Modern Family_ and _Futurama_.

While living there, she had improved Sam's habit of constantly eating out or fixing only boxed foods by taking over on a lot of the cooking duties. The only day that proved to be stressful was the morning of the lawsuit trial. Mercedes' parents and attorney had done their best to keep Mercedes as least involved in the preparation for the trial, but they were unable to evade having her testify. She asked Sam to come with her, but knew he was not going to be asked to testify.

_She'd dressed in the nicest maternity-friendly outfit she could assemble for the day in court and, along with Sam, met her parents at the courthouse. They listened to the judge's clerk introduce the judge, swear everyone in and then proceed to walk everyone through the sequence of events. Mercedes' parent's attorney, Jillian Gonzales, and the Fort Shawnee clinic's defense attorney, Adam Parker took turns giving their opening statements, and then came the testimonies. As the plaintiff, Mercedes was the first to testify and the first to be cross-examined by Attorney Parker. Mrs. Jones was called to the stand next, followed by Mercedes' former OB/GYN Dr. Johnson—who surprisingly testified in Mercedes' favor—and then Nurse Nina Kramer, and former Nurse Kate Carson had been the last to testify._

_When it came time for closing arguments, Jillian Gonzales was the first to give her final words. "Your honor, my client is not here to wring money out of the Fort Shawnee clinic for improperly bandaging a paper cut. She's not here to put a lot of, possibly otherwise capable nurses and physicians out of work. She's here because a number of careless errors made by a select group of staff members resulted in an accidental pregnancy and an unorthodox means of follow-up only proceeded from there. Yes, as we all have seen, Ms. Jones has made the decision to keep the baby she was impregnated with, and no, she is not here to seek child support via the clinic that did this to her. It is abundantly clear that she has her support from her family here. Could Ms. Jones have decided to terminate the pregnancy, as Mr. Parker suggested earlier? Certainly, but who's responsibility would it have been to cover _that _cost? And I am not just talking about a financial burden. No, expecting an eighteen, then seventeen year-old to be emotionally and physically sound after such a life-altering procedure is unjust, and we would all end up in this courtroom anyway. _

"_Now I recognize that it's one thing to terminate the employment of one of the two nurses responsible for this mishap, but what does that really do in terms of affecting this clinic? The nurse in question, Ms. Carson, was already new to begin with, however, Ms. Nina Kramer, has proudly stated her years of experience in the medical field yet is equally to blame for what happened to Ms. Jones. Who's to say an error similar to this one, or worse won't occur on Nurse Kramer's watch, the next time she grows upset with a colleague? Severe negligence cannot be disciplined with one mere termination and a day in court, only to be slapped on the wrist and permitted to carry on business as usual. No, I am imploring you, your honor, to see that a lasting impact is made on this clinic and its staff so that incidents like the one my client experienced will not happen again. Thank you."_

_She sat down, leaving quite the loud impression on the noiseless courtroom. Defense Attorney, Adam Parker stood to give his closing arguments, filling his speech with remorseful statements directed to Mercedes, but also reminding the judge that this was an isolated incident for a clinic that has little history of malpractice. It had been made clear that he was playing a sympathy angle throughout, seeing as he wasn't given an array of other possible angles to go off of._

_When it came time for the judge's verdict, he stated his thoughts first, expressing his own sympathy to Mercedes, and then commending the clinic solely for its termination of Nurse Kate. Finally, he condemned the Fort Shawnee clinic for its recklessness and severe negligence, "As Prosecuting Attorney Gonzales stated," he said. Before adjourning the case, the judge demanded that the clinic pay their former patient in the amount of $250,000 for malpractice and failing to properly rectify the error._

Mercedes had still been in shock over the amount of money she was now owed by the clinic. Part of her hated feeling like she was an extortionist, but she also was grateful for the outcome of the lawsuit. After getting her parents to agree to let her pay them back for some of their attorney fees, she had plans of putting away some of the money for her son, and using the rest to help Sam with future house payments.

The good news kept coming and lifting weights off her shoulders; the day after the lawsuit, she received her acceptance letter from Ohio State University, and a couple days later, Morris Brown's acceptance letter arrived at her parent's house as well. She celebrated her admission to OSU with dinner at her parents with Sam, and then a night out to the Milano Café with Sam, Puck, Lauren, Abby, Kurt, Blaine, Finn, Quinn and Tina.

A few things she was not celebrating were the changes that popped up with her progressing pregnancy. Her stomach was ballooning more than it had been two weeks ago, making it officially impossible for her to see her toes when she stood and looked straight down. Her sense of smell was vastly more sensitive than it had been her entire pregnancy; she had developed disgust for the smell of mint in mouth wash and toothpastes, as well as the smell of frying bacon. Along with her sensitive nose came the return of her morning sickness. So while she felt buoyant from the relief of months of stressful unknowns, she also felt incredibly moody.

She lay in bed late one morning giving the bathroom door a grim stare. Earlier that morning, she'd made a mad dash for the toilet to vomit her pulled pork sandwich from dinner last night, but she hadn't completely made it to the toilet. After rinsing her mouth out, Sam encouraged her to go back to bed while he cleaned up the floor, and followed it with a shower. When the door opened finally, she hadn't wavered on her bleak gaze.

"Morning, Stormy," spoke Sam as he emerged in his boxers with a damp, freshly-showered head.

"Morning," she mumbled back.

Sam stopped mid-stride and looked at her. "Are you okay?"

Mercedes shrugged. She watched him make his way to her side of the bed, rather than to the dresser. After sitting down in front of her legs, he stroked his thumb along her bare arm and asked, "What's wrong?"

She shrugged again.

"It's all clean in there."

"Thanks for that," she replied.

"Were you able to get some more sleep?"

Her head shook. "I wrote in my journal a little."

"That's good," he replied with an encouraging smile.

Her eyes followed his hand as it left her arm and reached up to tuck a strand of unwrapped hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry, Captain," she mumbled. "I'm just…not feeling today, I guess."

It was his turn to shrug this time. "It's okay. I read that sometimes days like this can happen—especially now when you're in your last trimester."

She smiled weakly, "Did you finish _What to Expect_?"

"Last night," he answered. "And speaking of finishing—I do know of something that might cheer you up, but you'll have to get up for it."

"What?"

He stood up, holding his hand out to her, "Come and see."

Her suspicion raised but was rapidly won out by excitement, "You finished the nursery?"

Though she still felt tired, Sam's answering smile woke her up from her bleak state. She sat up, adjusted her loose pajama top and stood, following him out of the room and to the closed nursery door.

"Alright close your eyes."

"Sam…"

"Come on, Stormy," he softly pled.

Mercedes rolled her eyes shut but tightened her grip on his hand. She heard the inner latch on the door give followed by a faint creak; the hand that was holding hers tugged her forward slightly, just before he said, "Okay, open."

She complied and gasped almost immediately. Her doe-like eyes widened in awe at their baby's room. Sam had painted all the walls a pale apple green with a thick white trim along the top. Running along the middle of the walls was a thick band of wallpaper with baby zebras, giraffes, elephants and lions printed all over. Along the south wall was the sleigh crib she had picked out and when she approached it, she saw the _Lion King_ bedding inside with a pale yellow fleece blanket folded on top with a tiny lion patch stitched into the corner. On one side where his head would lay sat a tiny plush cheetah; without even touching it, Mercedes could tell it was extremely soft. Hanging over the front of the crib was three more blankets; one was pale orange, the middle one was entirely giraffe print and the third donned multiple cool colors that reminded Mercedes of a tropical bird.

To the left of the crib, in the corner was a dark cherry wood glider with cream-colored back and seat pads, and a matching footrest. Another blanket was folded and neatly draped over the back of the glider—a blue safety blanket with a quilted pattern. As she kept moving her gaze around the room, she saw a changing table that matched the rest of the furniture in the room, and the shelves below it were already stocked with diapers, wipes, and a few bath cloths. Mounted on the wall above were three photos in a frame designed for four; one photo was of Sam as a baby, with Dwight and Mary Evans. The other photo was a baby picture of Mercedes with Tamara and Reggie Jones, and the last was a picture Puck had taken of Sam and Mercedes, holding their latest sonogram photo of their son.

Sam must have noticed where her gaze was lingering because he told her, "I thought we could take another family picture after he's actually here and put it in the last frame."

Speechless and teary-eyed, Mercedes nodded and tucked her lips inside her mouth. She made one more turn, about facing the wall where the changing table was, and saw a tall, narrow cherry wood dresser standing beside the room's cozy closet. The closet door was drawn back, revealing a series of infant hangers—with only a small handful in use. On top of the dresser sat two baby monitor devices and another framed picture. This one, however, was a hand drawn 8-by-10" image of Steve Rogers as Captain America and Ororo as Storm, standing proud and heroic beside one another. Mercedes recognized Sam's illustration style almost immediately.

"Puck and I saw these animal print letter decals at the store," Sam said from behind her. "…I didn't get 'em yet but I figured once we picked out a name, we could put it on the wall above the dresser here.

Mercedes finally faced Sam again, ignoring the hot tears that rolled down her cheeks. "Sam, it's—" her remaining words were lost to her overjoyed sobs as she walked over to close the space between them. She hugged him as tightly as her arms and belly would allow. She didn't know how much time had passed before she finally gained control over herself again. "I love it!" she whispered into his chest.

"Surprise!" he murmured back with an eye-crinkling smile.

She raised her head, smiling back at him and playfully teased, "I didn't know you were such a Ty Pennington."

Sam's forehead wrinkled, "Who?"

Mercedes giggled, "Never mind." She repeatedly nodded, letting her eyes admire the room again; her lips wouldn't stop smiling as she slowly turned in Sam's arms. "I can't wait to bring him home to this."

"I had a little help," he admitted when she faced him again. "Puck and Lauren helped out, and your parents gave me a copy of that photo."

Her eyes followed his pointing index to the frame above the changing table but she quickly looked back to him. "I'll be sure to thank them too, but this is for you." Her hand came up around the nape of his neck and as she stood on her toes, her neck craned up to meet his lips. She felt the pick-up in her pulse, triggering the return of her smile beneath his lips and when she broke away, the smile remained.

* * *

Sam felt waves of excitement hit him more than usual, and at random as Mercedes crept towards her seventh month of pregnancy. In two months, he was going to meet his son; he couldn't imagine a more blissful fact. He also had been enjoying how things were going with him and Mercedes under one roof. She had been a breath of fresh air in his otherwise desolate home, not to mention he'd been eating a lot better at dinnertime. And although her mood swings were more prevalent to him now, he coped, reminding himself that she was the one who had the hard work. When her morning sickness returned, he empathized and held her hair while rubbing her back when she allowed him to be in the bathroom with her.

The first night she had moved in, he remembered both of them seeming to be okay with sharing his bed. They hadn't really slept together beyond a couple of afternoon naps, and he didn't really know how this differed, until he woke up to the smell of bacon wafting from downstairs, and morning wood in his pants. From that day on, he learned two things—that he was going to try and sleep with his back to Mercedes at night, and that Mercedes had developed a sensitive dislike for the smell of frying bacon. Avoiding bacon from then on proved to be pretty easy; however, he'd learned just how much of a cuddler Mercedes was when it came to bedtime.

He spooned with her, doing his best to outlast her so that once she was in a deep enough sleep, he could roll over and sleep on his other side, but lying close and waiting for her to fall asleep still proved to be a tricky task for his neither regions. When he pressed himself close and held her, he was always breathing in the fresh smell of honeysuckle and strawberries, radiating from her skin and hair, as she often showered at night. The aroma was alluring to say the least—sometimes he tried to satiate himself by giving her kisses on her neck, and as much as she seemed to enjoy it, he felt like he was torturing himself further. Some nights, he tried to change things up by laying his head near her stomach and talking to the baby. He used some of his voice impressions against Mercedes' belly to make her laugh.

Later in the day, after showing her the baby's nursery, Puck had come over and after Mercedes hugged and thanked Puck for his help with the nursery, the three got to work on the next issue of _Chronic Chameleons_. They took a break for a late lunch; he and Puck went back upstairs but Mercedes asked to watch Abby while she made them her famous peanut butter cookies.

"You sure you can handle her and baking, Ororo?" asked a dubious Puck.

"Please, Stark—I can handle this. Abby's gonna be my little helper."

Sam smiled, watching Mercedes give Abby Eskimo kisses while carrying the small toddler into the kitchen. He looked to Puck and then shrugged; Puck shrugged back and started up the stairs, and before Sam followed he told her, "We'll be right upstairs if you need us."

"Got it," she replied without taking her eyes off Abby.

He lingered at the bottom step, peeking in the kitchen to watch Mercedes with Abby for a moment. She had such a natural nurturing personality, that he had no reason to doubt her mothering skills. In fact, he adored watching how easily caring for Abby seemed to come to her, and couldn't wait to admire her once _their_ baby arrived.

After joining Puck up in the office again, he laughed at the sight of Puck sprawled out on the floor with a dream-like haze on his face.

"What's with you?"

"Dude…Ororo's Peanut Butter cookies are a freakin' orgy in my mouth—oh my God I can't wait for her to finish."

Sam laughed again and kicked the sole of one of Puck's feet. "Get up, Tony—with her downstairs, it means we've got one less illustrator to get this chapter done."

"You don't say?" Puck sassed back with a smirk. He sat up and then stood, "Come on, you're not jazzed about her cookies?"

"'Course I am. Bu—"

"Or maybe it's some different cookies you're wanting from her."

With blinding speed, Sam struck out like a viper, sucker punching Puck's arm.

"Aye!"

"Dude why are you always on my nuts about us having sex?"

Puck snickered while rubbing his arm, "What? I'm just kidding! Sheesh! And trust me, it wouldn't kill you to skip your workout rituals—shit, that hurt!"

"Good," replied Sam with a satisfied smirk.

"Or maybe…it's all that sexual tension that's got you swinging like the Hulk."

Sam went to punch his arm again but Puck dodged it this time. They were both smirking at each other—Puck's with amusement while Sam's held determination.

"What's this? Are we in need of a new nickname—Steve Rogers is now Bruce Banner?"

Sam pounced and they started to wrestle each other, exchanging joking insults. They hadn't stopped trying to gain the upper hand over one another until they rammed into Puck's desk and tipped it over with a loud crash. Papers, pens, a desk lamp and pencils of every sort went flying, and Sam and Puck froze.

"Uhh…What's going on up there?" they heard Mercedes call up from downstairs.

Sam had Puck in an headlock and Puck's elbow was geared to jab Sam in his crotch but they both stopped and answered, "Nooothiiing!"

* * *

Later that evening, after speedily righting the office with Puck and heading downstairs to enjoy the cookies, Sam cleaned up the kitchen while Mercedes and Puck got Abby ready to go. He'd thrown a pre-made pizza in the oven for the two of them while Mercedes went upstairs to shower and put on some pajamas. Tonight they sat upstairs having dinner in bed and watching back-to-back Season 1 _House_ episodes on Sam's laptop.

"Think we should decide on a name for the squirt?" asked Sam before sticking a bite of crust in his mouth.

Mercedes was sitting in front of him on the bed between his legs, and shrugged, "Yeah it wouldn't hurt for us to give him an actual name." She plucked a pepperoni off of her slice while asking him, "We're sticking with Asher, Sullivan, or Lukas?"

"Mhm."

He saw her pause and then met her gaze as she looked back at him, "Why do I get the feeling that if we named him Lukas, you'd throw some _Star Wars_ quote in the delivery room?"

Sam clamped his lips together, failing to mask his guilty smile. Unable to resist, when he opened his mouth again, he channeled James Earl Jones, cupped a hand over his mouth and purposely breathed heavily. "Luke…I am your father…"

"Oh my God—okay Lukas is out!" said Mercedes with a peal of giggles.

"Oh come on! He'd have the most epic birth in history! After the doctor cuts the cord, I could hold him up like Simba and give him a proper greeting to the world!"

Mercedes looked back at him again, "Are you insane?"

"And we could bring him home in a little jedi outfit!"

"Yep, you're certifiable."

He blushed and she grinned and shook her head at him. "We're not naming our son Lukas so you can be Darth Vader-Rafiki," she decided. "I still really like Asher and Sully."

Sam abandoned his dinner plate on his side table and then brought his hands around middle. "Look, regardless of what we name him, our kid's gonna hear more of my impressions—I even have a little Twilight one I've been working on."

"You do not," she said.

"Psh, wanna bet?" Sam sat up a little more, cocking brow at her. "You don't know what I got, baby." He held a hand out to her as though expecting her to pay up but said, "Where's your copies of the books at?"

One of her hands left her stomach and pointed to the dresser; sitting on top were her small stack of novels—including the _Twilight_ series. Sam got up from the bed, paused the _House_ DVD, and pulled the second book from the series. As he plopped back down behind her he flipped to a random page. His finger ran down a page but he paused for a moment, staring out of the corner of his eyes at Mercedes. She was grinning with amused anticipation, and he smirked in return, bringing his gaze back to the book.

After dramatically clearing his throat, earning some soft giggles from Mercedes, he recited an excerpt of Bella's narration from the book using his feminine falsetto voice while acting out the narration on Mercedes. "_He released me, lifting his other hand to brush his fingertips along my cheek, trailing them down to my jaw. I could feel his fingers tremble—not with anger this time. He pressed his palm against my cheek so that my face was trapped between his burning hands._"

Mercedes was shaking with laughter but he could tell she was trying to stay quiet to hear his Bella impression. He switched long enough to channel his Jacob voice to say, "_Bella_…" in a dramatic whisper.

Switching back to his Bella voice, he read on, "_I was frozen. No! I hadn't made this decision yet. I didn't know if I could do this, and now I was out of time to think. But I would have been a fool if I thought rejecting him now would have no consequences._"

She burst out laughing but quickly covered her mouth, and Sam grinned brightly. "See? My Jacob and Edward voices are more impressive."

"I dunno," she argued in between laughs, "Your Bella voice was pretty damn hilarious. I wish I'd known you when I first started reading those books. You would've made them a lot more fun to get through."

Sam flipped ahead a couple pages and mimicked Taylor Lautner's voice to read, "_I know what he did to you, Bella…You could stay here with me. You could stay alive. For Charlie. For me_."

"Okay, stop or my stomach's gonna start hurting," Mercedes admitted, already holding her stomach.

"Okay, okay," he answered with an amused smile. He closed the book and leaned over to set the book down beside his plate. As Mercedes' laughs calmed he noticed her yawn and said, "We could always talk about names tomorrow if you want."

She nodded, "It's fine. I mean…I'm still pretty stuck on Asher and Sully."

"Asher Blake or Sullivan Blake, right?"

"Mhm," she replied, tilting her head back to look up at him.

Sam bent his head and kissed her nose, "Hmm…Asher Blake Evans….Sullivan Blake Evans…"

He mulled over both names in his mind but found himself looking down at his girlfriend again. Mercedes leaned her head back against his chest with her eyes closed; despite her words, he could see how tired she looked. His arms came around her middle again and he gently rubbed her tummy. "We'll figure it out tomorrow, Stormy," he murmured, lowering his chin to rest against the top of her head. Any minute, Mercedes was going to be quietly snoring, and he would likely still be thinking over names for their son.

* * *

_**Please, please, PLEASE leave reviews! What did you think of Attorney Gonzales' closing statement? And the lawsuit outcome? The nursery? Sam's little bedtime/morning aversion problem? His **_**Twilight**_** impressions? Which of the two names do you like best? Hoping to write up the next chapter soon! It's April everyone! Don't forget what's supposed to happen this month ;) If you need a hint, answer this question: What 'brings May flowers'?  
Thanks for reading! More is coming!**_


	29. Chapter 29

_**A/N: To avoid any confusion, this is not the next day, following where the previous chapter ended. Anywho, enjoy!**_

**April 2012**

_Sam was kneeling before her as she lay on the bed, looking up into his inviting green orbs. His chiseled chest was bare, allowing her hands to roam every divot and ripple his torso possessed. And she had let him explore every inch of her skin—almost._

"_You're sure about this?" he asked her in a gruff, seductive voice._

_She bit her lip and admitted, "I'm just nervous. The doctor said it was safe, so I'm not worried about the baby. Plus I'd be crazy to stop things at this point."_

_He answered her light smile with a smirk of his own and as he shifted his hips in between her legs, his lips came to her ear and whispered, "I promise to be gentle if you that's what you want."_

_Her body shuddered and her breasts firmed slightly as Sam began to gently rock against her. She brought a hand up to grip the headboard, bracing herself for pain but didn't feel anything. _

"_Does that feel good?" she heard Sam wonder, while his hand started massaging her tender and enlarged breasts._

_Her brows twitched together as she stared up at the ceiling. "Go faster," she replied._

_A moment later, his pace quickened—not wildly so but enough for her to tell that he'd complied. Still, she felt nothing._

_His lips trailed up to hers and in between kisses he asked, "You like that?"_

_She half moaned back against his lips, "Faster," wondering if he was just being too gentle. Again and again she moaned the request but nothing changed._

_Sam groaned back and when he raised his head up slightly, he almost looked mad. It made her question if something was seriously wrong with her. Was she not meant to ever have sex? Was Sam really just sparing her nervous feelings by handling her so carefully that he wasn't enjoying it too?_

_Before she could tell him to stop, she felt the baby start to kick, turning her bladder into a punching bag and making her gasp sharply._

"_Stormy?"_

"Stormy!"

"Mercedes!"

Mercedes' eyes snapped open with another gasp. One hand was gripping the headboard while her other hand—cupped over her breast—immediately flew to her stomach. Sure enough, her son was kicking away inside her. She looked around bewildered until her eyes landed on Sam's alarmed face. He had one hand on her shoulder and was staring just as intense as he'd been in her dream.

"Are um…are you okay?" he warily asked.

Her lips began to move but no sound game out yet.

"You were breathing kinda fast when I woke up, and…then you started…smushing your boob and moaning…'faster'?"

Mercedes went entirely rigid. She was talking—no, _moaning_ in her sleep? Had she had paler flesh, her entire face would be beet red, but she could feel her cheeks burning beneath her dark skin. Mortified, she stammered while throwing the covers back and got out of the bed as quickly as possible. "I—I'm…I just…bathroom." Her disjointed response as abandoned as she rushed to the bathroom as quickly as possible without a backwards glance. Immediately, she sat down on the toilet to relieve herself and lowered her head in her hands, breathing slowly and deeply. _God, he heard me!_ She thought loudly in her mind. She wanted to die of embarrassment but instead, she finished on the toilet, washed her hands and splashed cold water on her face. A cold shower would have done a better job but she settled for water on her face and some deep breaths, and then left the bathroom.

Her hand started rubbing along her tummy and she did her best to focus on that, rather than meet Sam's obvious gaze.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"Yeah," she muttered, "I just…had a…a dream is all." She made a conscious effort to avoid calling it a bad dream since it wasn't _all_ bad.

"What was it about?" he asked, shifting in the bed to sit up as she took a seat on the edge with her back to him.

"I…i-it's nothing."

She heard the calm, casual tone in Sam's voice when he flat out asked, "Was it a sex dream?"

Right away, Mercedes stiffened, giving herself away. She clamped down on her bottom lip and whipped her head to the side to look at him. "How—wh-why would you assume that?"

Sam shrugged, remaining casual, "I read about it. It's common."

She dropped her head in her hands again and spoke around her palms. "Okay, I'm officially embarrassed."

"You're embarrassed that you wanna have sex?"

"It's not the first time this has happened, Sam," she confessed.

She felt a shift in weight on the mattress as Sam approached her, walking across the bed on his knees. His hands came up and rubbed up and down her shoulders, "Hey it's okay. I'm not gonna make fun of you or anything for it, if that's what you're worried about. And if it makes you feel any better…I've been having some issues of my own in that department."

"Huh?"

He chuckled lightly but when she raised her head to look at him, his cheeks and ears were bright pink, "I just mean it's a part of our relationship I've thought about too."

In a way, that did make her feel better, surprisingly. But she sighed and told him, "I'm not a prude, I promise. I just...right now I don't feel ready for it."

"Well, that's okay—you don't have to b—"

"No," she shook her head, "I don't mean like…emotionally, and obviously I'm not afraid I might end up pregnant." She gave him a knowingly look that made him smile in response, and then her gaze lowered to her lap. "It's more of the physical part. I just...I'm already a big girl, which I'm fine with, but right now…I don't feel like I should be wanted by you, in that way right now."

She chanced a glance back up at his face and hoped to God she wouldn't have to spell out her meaning any clearer than that for him. But it looked like comprehension was creeping over his face. A moment later, his hands lowered from her shoulders and closed around her hands. His green hues were on her face—specifically her eyes when he said, "Mercedes, I'll tell you until I'm blue in the face, just how sexy I think you are, pregnant or not. And you'll always be beautiful to me."

The way his eyes bore into her as he said this made her want to cry. She didn't care what he'd told her before—he was perfect. Perfect for her, at least. She tucked her lips into her mouth, glanced bashfully at the bed and then back into his eyes as she brought both hands to either side of his face and leaned in for a kiss. He returned it and in a matter of seconds, deepened it with a more fervent pair of lips. Mercedes arched her back and lolled her head slightly at the feeling of his tongue requesting entrance into her mouth; a moment later their tongues were dancing around one another. Unable to help herself, Mercedes moaned softly against Sam's plump lips. One of her hands left the side of his face so she could smooth her fingers across his chest. The only thing that kept her from fully appreciating all the ripples and divots she'd touched in her dream was the thin cotton of his wife beater. Meanwhile, her other hand found its way into his lustrous golden blond mane—long enough for her fingers to partially vanish in the back, but it was even longer on the top. This much goodness should_ not_ be possessed by one person.

"M-Mercedes," she heard him quietly muter against her lips.

"Mmm?" she replied, still enjoying their kissing.

"I um…I hate to…"

With the utmost reluctance, she pulled her swelling lips away from his so he could talk. They both took in a fresh breath of air before Sam said, "I hate to stop this right now but.." he smiled guiltily at her, "We have a shower we need to get ready for."

As much as she'd been looking forward to this day, she couldn't deny how much she was liking where things were heading a moment ago between her and Sam. It was for this reason that she playfully wrinkled her nose with a childish inquiry, "You mean they can't have it without us?"

Sam's brows shot up, amused, "You really want them to?"

She chuckled, "Uh, no. Our moms would take us out back and shoot us—Ol' Yeller style."

As he stood up from the bed, Sam laughed, "Amen to that!" He held a hand out to her and said, "Well…you go ahead and get ready. I'm gonna go down and get us something ready for breakfast."

After Mercedes stood up he bent forward and pressed a kiss to the top of her growing baby bump. "Mornin', Squirt!" And as she took her time heading to the bathroom this time, she heard Sam announce, "To the kitchen, I go!"

"Cheerios?" she asked.

"Nope!" he called back, already halfway down the hall. "Pop Tarts!"

Mercedes shook her head repeatedly, rolled her eyes and smiled. When it came to cooking breakfast, that man was a lost cause.

* * *

Sam stood at the front door, fully dressed in a pair of jeans, a white v-neck and an unbuttoned red flannel shirt. "Come on, Stormy—we're gonna be late!"

"No we're not! I'm coming!"

He rubbed his hand along his freshly-shaven chin, while thinking about how things had started out this morning.

_Mercedes had fallen asleep early last night so Sam decided to take advantage of the time afforded to try his hand at gift wrapping again. He had a flat, wide box, a little bigger than the size of computer paper with Mercedes' gift inside. He considered saving it until the baby arrived, but decided he couldn't wait that long, since it was already done. But after twenty straight minutes of trying to replicate what he remembered seeing Lauren do at Christmas, he gave up and decided on his back up plan of using a gift bag and tissue paper._

_Satisfied with his handy work, he finally changed into his pajamas joined Mercedes in bed and chanced cuddling up to her. He'd gone to bed with a feeling of comfort over him, and awoke to strange noises coming from beside him. Sam opened his eyes to find Mercedes holding the top of the headboard while her other hand made slow, messy circles over her right breast. His brows pulled together and, while he found it kinda hot, he also thought it was weird to see her do to herself—especially when she was obviously still asleep. He was just about to reach over to try and wake her when she muttered, "Faster…"_

_Sam blinked. _Did I hear her right?_ He thought. And as if she'd heard him, she moaned, "Faster," again. So many things crossed his mind as he watched her, moaning and massaging herself, and his suspicions of what was going on in her mind were only confirmed by the way she reacted to him once he woke her up and told her all he'd witnessed._

He cast an amused glance at the floor at the recollection, but tucked his lips in his mouth as he heard Mercedes coming down the stairs.

"My feet are so swollen," she told him sadly.

Right away, his eyes went to the floor to see her wearing purple flip-flops to go with her sleeveless purple shirt and skinny jeans. He smiled at the way her top gathered between her chest and stomach, giving emphasis to all her frontal bumps. Her hair was styled in very loose curls and she had a necklace on with a "LOVE" charm hanging directly above her cleavage.

"Enjoying yourself?" she asked, pulling him out of his unintentional reverie.

He gave her busty chest one more appreciative glance and then looked in her eyes. "Are you gonna hit me if I say 'yes'?"

Mercedes rolled her eyes but he saw her lips form a smile as she passed him, heading out the front door.

"What's that?" he asked.

Mercedes joined him in looking down at the paper grocery bag in her hand. "Oh, um…nothing. My mom asked me to bring something over."

He nodded dismissively, locked the door and followed after her. Together, they walked next door and knocked, offering to give Quinn and Finn a ride to the shower with them. The Fabray-Hudson couple agreed to carpooling, and the four took Mercedes' SUV, but Sam drove. During the drive, Sam heard Mercedes gasp beside him and his head snapped in her direction.

"You okay?"

She nodded, her eyes squeezed shut, "Yeah…just got kicked in the ribs. I'll be fine." She took a few deep breaths and listened while Quinn tried to sooth her a bit with a story of how she could relate to the aches and pains. Sam, meanwhile, had let go of the steering wheel with his right hand and held hers across the gear shift panel.

"We still haven't given this little man a name, Captain," said Mercedes, rubbing her stomach.

"Yeah, we do."

From the back seat he heard Finn ask, "Oh, what names are you guys thinking of?"

Mercedes answered, "Mostly Asher and Sullivan."

"You know, I wish you'd still consider Lukas…" said Sam, trailing off with his sentence. There was an intentional sulk in the tone of his voice and he saw Mercedes look at him from his peripheral vision.

"I would've if you hadn't put the whole _Star Wars-Lion King_ delivery room thing in my head."

When he looked at her, she was giving him a knowing smirk that made him give a coy shrug and smile back.

"Hold on—what _Star Wars, Lion King _thing?" wondered Quinn.

Sam chuckled along with Mercedes, and also explained, "I keep trying to tell Mercedes about an epic way to welcome our kid to the world and she's not sold so she doesn't wanna name him Lukas."

"He wants to hold him up like Simba!" she argued aloud, twisting in her seat so she could look back to Quinn for some support. "And talk to him like Darth Vader."

Quinn giggled, "You're not serious…"

"I think it's awesome!" said Finn.

"_Thank you_," replied Sam, eyeing Mercedes with a wider smirk.

She swatted his arm playfully as he pulled into the Jones' driveway. His parent's Ford pick-up was parked out in front of the Jones' grand estate, along with a few other cars he didn't recognize, but Mercedes tugged on his sleeve, claiming his attention again. "Look, mister—I'll make you a deal."

"I'm listening," glanced at her again.

"We'll put Lukas—and your reason for loving it so much—to a vote at the shower. If more people like it than don't, then…we'll consider it again."

Sam turned off the engine, pulled the key out and set his hands in his lap as he turned to look at her. His wits were about him as he replied, "I think you're already giving it a second thought. Otherwise why else would you consider it?" Her lips puckered to mask a smile from how right he was, and he chuckled triumphantly while unbuckling his seatbelt. "Come on, Stormy."

After getting out of the car, he met Mercedes around the front to take her hand and walked up the driveway with her, Finn and Quinn. Blue, orange and white balloons were floating around the door, and when they entered, his ears were filled with chattering and laughing voices, blended in with the familiar squeals of his younger brother and sister.

"Hellooooo?" Mercedes called out.

"We're here!" added Sam.

"Sammy!" he heard his sister say. He immediately looked down to his hand, Mercedes was now squeezing and freed his hand to wrap it around her and bring her closer to him.

"Stacy," he whispered to her.

Footsteps thumped rapidly across the hardwood floors from the living room until a four foot, blonde-headed eight year-old girl with bright green eyes appeared before him and Mercedes. Sam smiled brightly and crouched down, opening his arms to her. "Hey, Stace!"

"Hi Sammy! Sammy isn't this house cool! They have a pool in their backyard like Grandma and Grandpa's house, and Mommy's friend said Stevie and I could come swim in it!"

"Whaat? That's awesome!" He twisted around to face Mercedes—who was watching them with bright, smiling eyes—and said, "Hey, Stace I want you to meet Mercedes."

Stacy coiled into Sam's side with a bashful smile and waved. The volume of her voice lowered significantly as she said, "Hi Mercedes."

"Hi Stacy. Glad I'm getting to meet you. Your brother told me a lot about you."

"Like what?" she asked outright with a very childlike innocence.

Mercedes giggled softly, "Well…It's true you like playing games, right? I have some in my room if you wanna check them out."

Sam gripped his sister's shoulder, "Yeah and her room's _really_ purple."

"Which I heard is your favorite color," added Mercedes, resting a hand on her stomach. She winked at his sister, "I think we're gonna get along real well, Stacy."

Stacy grinned, "Can I see your room?"

"Of course! But first I have to go say 'hi' to my mom and dad, and your mom and dad."

"And Stevie," added Sam. He then looked to his sister, "Where's he at by the way?"

Stacy looked around and pointed to the living room, "He's watching Daddy and Daddy's friend cook outside."

"M-JONESSSS!"

Sam jolted, startled by the boisterous female voice he heard from a distance. As he stood up, he threw a wary glance through the living room and to the kitchen entrance. Out came a slender Latina girl in a tightly-fitted lime green dress with a red Solo cup in her hand. Sam's brows rose, turning his uncertain gaze on Mercedes but Mercedes was pulling him forward to meet her.

"Look at you, mamacita!" the girl said.

"Hiii, Santana," said Mercedes, giggling softly. "Is Brittany here?"

"Yeah she's out back with Tina, Prancy Smurf and the others."

Sam let Mercedes' hand go and rocked on his heels as she moved to hug her friend. When they pulled apart, she turned to him, "Sam this is my friend, Santana. Santana, this is my b—"

"Baby daddy, Sam—I know, I know," Santana finished, waving off Mercedes. She stepped back, folding her arms loosely in front of her and tapped the side of her cup with an appraising gaze at him. Sam shifted his weight from one foot to the other, uncomfortably, feeling like he was under a microscope.

"Damn, you've got some big-ass lips! I bet you and 'Cedes compete to see who can suck the other one's lips off first, huh?"

"Santana!" hissed Mercedes.

Sam rolled his eyes, smirking; he'd gotten enough teasing throughout his academic life about his unusually large lips to not be bothered much by his girlfriend's friend's joke.

"Nice to meet you, Santana," he said.

"Of course it is, Trouty Mouth," she wittily replied. Her eyes looked him over one more time and then went back to Mercedes. "Glad to see you taking care of my home girl, here." She then nodded to Mercedes' swelling belly, "How's the rugrat?"

"Kicking the hell outta me," replied Mercedes, triggering instant hidden worry from Sam. "But it's okay. I'm gonna find a seat to plant my butt later. Hopefully he'll calm down after that."

"You sure you're okay?" he quietly asked.

Her hand came up to his shoulder, "I'm sure."

He hugged an arm gently around her shoulder and leaned down to kiss the side of her head. "I'm gonna go find Stevie so you can meet him, and let our parents know we're here."

She let her hand linger in his for a moment and he smiled, gave her knuckles a quick peck and wandered out to find his family while she prattled on with her friend.

* * *

Over the half hour that followed their arrival, the Jones' home was filled with Sam's family, Mercedes' family, several friends of hers from school, several of Sam's friends and Kurt and Finn's parents. All the downstairs rooms were decked out in blue, orange and white crepe paper, balloons, plates, table cloths and various animal banners and decals on the walls and windows. Tamara Jones and Mary Evans got the ball rolling with several games that had everyone laughing. Everyone at some point was taking photos of the festivities—taking a break only to eat.

After eating the BBQ lunch, Tamara and Mary sat their children down in chairs beside each other and surrounded them with a small fortress of presents. Most were diapers, but they had received clothes, bath items, photo albums, picture frames; a swing from Sam's parents and a car seat from Mercedes' parents. Kurt and Finn's parents took care of them as well by purchasing a pack 'n play and after they cut and served some cake, Mercedes snuck away to use the bathroom upstairs. She took her time, giving herself a moment alone to let things sink in; all the gifts brought on a new reminder for her that the baby was two months away from arriving. Excited, nervous, anxious, happy, afraid…those were the strongest of emotions she felt. But she pulled herself together, finished up and made a stop in her old bedroom before heading back downstairs.

With the paper grocery bag in her hand she approached Sam and tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned to her, smiling, she smiled back and asked, "Can I talk to you alone?"

He smiled a bit more, "Yeah."

Once he'd abandoned his punch cup, he followed her upstairs. She knew unless it was an emergency to use the bathroom, she wouldn't be trekking back up here again tonight. The trips she'd already made for the bathroom alone—when the downstairs one was occupied—and her time going up and down to grab games to play with Stacy had worn her out. But she stopped about halfway up the staircase and carefully sat down on a step, giving them enough privacy without completely vanishing from their own party. After setting the bag down in front of her knees, she faced Sam and happily but tiredly told him, "I have something here for you."

His brows rose at the same moment a smile crossed his face, "Really?"

"Mhm. I know the point of the shower is to get stuff for the baby, and all but…well this gift's kinda about the baby but, more so you…" She slid the bag towards him a bit, indicating for him to take it.

Sure enough, Sam picked up the bag and plopped it in his lap while reaching inside. Mercedes bit back the amused look that almost instantly came to her face when he pushed past the tissue paper and groped his hand around the side of the item. Eventually he pulled it out and un-wrapped it from the tissue paper with an intrigued smile.

Beneath all the tissue paper was a wooden box with a glossy finish and a cursive "E" on the top. She watched Sam's face illuminate at the sight of the gift, which made her bite her bottom lip and smile sheepishly.

"It's a keepsake box," she told him. "I thought maybe throughout his life, you'd have things you would wanna save for your own memories. And maybe you'd show some of those things to him later on in his life."

Sam turned the box over in his hands a few times but the expression on his face from the moment he saw it hadn't faltered. Mercedes noticed his eyes looked slightly glazed over but he looked right in her eyes when she murmured, "Open it."

He set the box in his lap, lifted the tiny gold latch in front and raised the lid to see what was inside. Meanwhile, Mercedes leaned over to rest her head against the nearby wall, and watched him lift out a black t-shirt. She watched Sam grin as he read the text on the front that read, "_Who's Your Daddy?_" with an image of Darth Vader printed beside it.

"Ha! Aw man, this is the best!" he replied, still grinning.

She smiled and told him, "There's one more thing in the box."

"Hm?" Sam quietly mumbled, lowering the shirt so he could look in the box again. Folded neatly, once over, was a tiny brown and tan-striped onesie with a matching brown baby cap. Sam's smile lessened but hadn't lost its warmth. "I like this."

Mercedes smiled knowingly, "Do you get it?"

His brows furrowed, "Um…is this…his homecoming outfit?"

She nodded, "Yeah, well I couldn't find an infant jedi outfit, so…" she let her sentence trail off so he could put the pieces together. Her lips stretched a bit; fully, she enjoyed watching the realization creep over his face.

"So does this mean…" he started to say, staring at her with wide, anxious eyes.

"That we can name him Lukas?" She closed her eyes a moment, still smiling and took one audible breath in and out. "Yes."

She could tell Sam was failing miserably at an attempt to tame his ecstasy, which only amused her as she opened her eyes again. "I really did think a lot about the name, and I know how excited you've been about the name for months. Despite the little vote earlier, I _do_ love the name too and I want our son to have it. But Samuel Blake Evans," her tone darkened in a very matronly tone—one that contrasted the sleepy smirk on her lips, "I swear if you raise our baby up like Simba in that delivery room—"

"I won't, I won't!" he swore with a huge grin. Seemingly speechless, Sam brought his gaze back to his shirt and the baby's outfit and just stared at them for a long time. And Mercedes watched him fold his shirt and place it back inside the box before returning it to the grocery bag. As soon as his hands were free, he leaned over and pressed a kiss on Mercedes' cheek, and then added a tender one to her lips. "I love you, Stormy. You are just…..amazing," he finished with a content sigh.

Mercedes cast a tired smile at him and said, "I love you too, Captain. More than I know how to say."

* * *

_**Sorry this got uploaded so late/later than I'd hoped. Writing while running on almost no sleep does me no good. That being said, I apologize for any potential errors that occurred in this chapter. Please leave me reviews! I really really like receiving & reading them, and I'm always interested in knowing what you liked/didn't like/were curious about. And I haven't forgotten about Sam's little present to Mercedes. I promise! Thanks for your love and loyalty! More's coming soon!**_


	30. Chapter 30

_**I have to say…I think the previous chapter was one of, if not my favorite chapter to write! Thanks a million for all the support, PMs, and reviews! Every one of them is appreciated! Enjoy Chapter 30!**_

**May 2012**

Sam slept a little restlessly the night before, primarily because of his birthday. When he opened his eyes in the morning, he was officially 24. It wasn't that he hated his birthday; on the contrary, he was anxious about the surprise plans Mercedes kept mentioning to him. He was like a kid waiting for Christmas morning to come. The days leading up to this one, he struggled to contain his curiosity, seeing as Mercedes had already snapped at him once for pestering her over it.

"_Come on, Stormy."_

"_No, Cap."_

"_Just one little hint."_

"_No. Stop asking or I'm gonna get mad."_

"_But what's one hint? Please, I just wanna know how I might react."_

_She rolled her eyes, "No. No. No. NO! For the billionth time, no!"_

"_But—"_

"_Dammit Sam, if you ask me one more time I'm gonna flip my lid. I swear!"_

He shook the recollection away and turned over in the bed to wish Mercedes a good morning but was brought up short. The other half of the bed was void of her presence. For a brief moment he thought she might have been in Lukas' room reading her baby shower gift from him again. After having received his present from her at the shower, he went back downstairs, got her gift and watched her open it. Since then, there hadn't been a day where she didn't sit down with the custom comic, written and illustrated by Sam. With some pulled strings he got it printd and bound like an actual comic—the superheroic story of Captain America, Storm and their baby boy Lieutenant Lightning.

It amused Sam, just how much she'd loved reading it to their unborn son, and describing the images to her tummy. But the house was quiet, and in her place on the bed sat an envelope address to, "Captain" with a heart at the end of it. Sam smirked and tore open the envelope and pulled out a note card:

"_I noticed at the shower that your sister's not the only one that likes to play games. So I'm sending you on a quick scavenger hunt. Get dressed and I'll see you later. Love, Stormy."_

Sam's interest filled him completely. He ditched the note card and got up, wondering how he hadn't heard Mercedes leave this morning; usually she was the heavier sleeper than he was. When he arrived in the bathroom, another note card was taped to the medicine cabinet's mirror:

"_By the way, Happy Happy Happy Birthday! I love you, Captain!"_

He smiled, reading her note over a few more times and then took a quick shower, and went to get dressed. Upon opening his underwear drawer, he found another note card with Mercedes' handwriting on it:

"_First clue is downstairs. Good luck! ;)_"

After throwing on a shirt and a pair of bermudas, he hurried downstairs and started scanning the room. Propped in front of a small wrapped box was another note card. Sam strode over and snatched up the card, but couldn't resist opening the box first. Inside was a 2-by-3 frame with a picture of Mercedes in a black graduation drape casting her beautiful, contagious smile directly at him. He'd been asking her about her graduation photos and every time he did, she skirted around a direct answer; now he knew why. Smiling back at his present, Sam propped the frame on the mantel, right in between a photo of Stacy's school photo and a group picture of him, Puck, Lauren, Finn and Quinn from last Halloween. He then turned his attention to the next clue:

"_There were so many things we had to __**pick**__ out for the baby. What other picks can you find in here? There's 4 hidden in this room. One's got your next clue attached."_

His mind immediately went to a guitar picks she darted around the room, turning over the cushions and flattening his chest to the floor to check underneath the couches. He hurried to the flat screen T.V. and smoothed his hand along the back but so far, three of the guitar picks he found were without note cards. Just when he was about to give up wondering where the other pick was, his eyes locked on the bookcase. He began pulling books out and putting them back when he didn't find a pick there. After pulling out his copy of _What to Expect_ _When You're Expecting_, a hair pick fell out with a note card taped to it.

"Very funny, Stormy," he mumbled to himself with a grin, bending down to pick it up:

"_They say to keep your friends close. Well how much closer can friends get than neighbors?"_

That clue was easy enough. Letting the excitement bubble in him again, he snatched up his keys off the coffee table and headed out, cut across the law and made his way to Finn and Quinn's front door. He rang the doorbell, and then promptly knocked several times while bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.

"Okay, okay!" he heard from the other side of the door, followed by a few giggles. Quinn opened the door, "Hi Sam."

"Hi Quinn! Where's my clu—" He paused and sniffed the air a couple times and asked, "Are you baking?"

"Hold on, Captain Eager Pants," she said, holding up her hand.

"It's Captain America."

"No, I'm not baking. Gosh, you're like a kid on Christmas. Don't you want your gifts first? And happy birthday, by the way."

"Thanks. And yes—don't' make me start with grabby hands."

Quinn rolled her eyes at him with a smirk and stepped aside, vanishing behind the door. When she re-appeared, she had two gifts in her hand. One was an apparel-sized wrapped gift box, and the other was a square box, almost the same size.

"I swear you're five when it comes to presents."

"Quinn!"

"Alright, relax!" she giggled again and held out the square box, "This one's from Finn and I."

He took the box and blinked, surprised by its weight. "Whoa."

"_Don't _drop it. You'll break it," warned Quinn.

After a quick, wary glance, he tore off the gift wrap and lifted the lid on the box to reveal a square, white marble wall clock with the Giant Dipper constellation impressed into the stone's smooth surface.

"We figured you could use this downstairs since you refuse to get a wall clock. Plus this could be good to have for those long nights you and Mercedes are up with Lukas," explained Quinn in a quiet voice. "I heard that it's good to watch the time so you can learn a baby's sleeping patterns."

Sam was staring at the clock while she explained but he looked up as her voice faded to silence. He knew she and Finn were talking about starting a family but—according to Finn—the time never seemed right. He offered an empathetic smile and hugged Quinn. "Thank you. This is gonna look great downstairs."

Quinn hugged him back and when she pulled away, she held out the bigger box. "This one's from Mercedes. Your next clue's inside."

The box held its own bit of unexpected weight, but it was squishy, unlike the clock. He tore it open and was momentarily distracted from the note. The box fell away from his grasp as he held up a hoodie that looked exactly like the upper half of Captain America's uniform, complete with eye holes in the hood. He grinned, un-zipped it and immediately slipped his arms through the sleeves, cozying himself into the soft fleece interior.

Quinn pulled him out of his brief reverie when she burst out in a fit of giggles, "It's a good thing Mercedes is coming to know you so well! You really _are_ like a kid on Christmas."

He zipped up the hoodie, pulled the hood up and knelt down to grab the clue out of the abandoned box:

"The _Sound of Music is one of my favorite musicals, as you know. In the song, 'Do Re Mi', Maria sings the location of your final clue. Hint: Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start…_"

Sam thought for a moment. What beginning was she talking about? He pondered this for only a moment because his excitement got the better of him. "So the last clue's back at the house?"

"Uh…no."

He looked up at Quinn, shocked. "No? But she said at the very beginning and the hunt started in the living room!"

Quinn propped her hands on her hips, "Who said she's talking about the beginning of the hunt?"

Instantly, Sam's brows furrowed, "Well what else could she mean?"

"I already know what she means."

Sam stared at her expectedly.

Quinn sighed, "Alright, because I don't want her sitting outside waiting for you for ages, Mercedes is gonna be at the place where you two first met."

He hardly had to think about the indirect clue; his mind immediately flashed back to that particular day, when he'd scooped up Abby like she was an object in a relay, only to bolt after Mercedes' school notes. He remembered the first time he looked right into her stunning face. She was so relieved about getting her school papers that she hadn't even noticed how enamored he was by her beauty.

"Hurry up so she doesn't feel like she can't go to the bathroom or something without missing you."

"Thanks, Quinn!" with that, he turned back out of the door and half jogged, half speed-walked to the nearby park. There were sparse visitors at the time he'd arrived but sure enough, Mercedes was sitting on the exact bench he found her drawing at when he encountered her, a month after they chased after paper. This time her head was bent down with a cell phone in her hand and two bags at each side of her

"Surprise!" She stood up, holding the blue gift bag that covered most of her ballooning tummy. "I was wondering when you were going to figure out that last clue. You actually got here kinda fast."

"I uh…had a little help with the last clue," he admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Quinn?"

He nodded once, "Quinn."

Mercedes rolled her eyes, "I should've known she was gonna spill the beans."

"In her defense, she did it for you and trust me—it's a good thing she did. I was about to go back to the house and turn it upside down looking for your last clue." He stepped up to her and skillfully removed the bag from her hands so he could give her a proper hug. "I loved the scavenger hunt, Stormy. And all my little gifts that came with it."

Her head tilted up to him, "I'm glad you did. And that hoodie looks really good on you."

"Yeah?" he asked, taking a step back so she could see it fully.

"Mhm, when I saw it, I couldn't pass it up. You should wear it to the midnight showing when you, Puck and Finn go tonight."

"Hmmm," Sam smirked and then playfully poked her nose, "I think I will. Are you sure you're not gonna come with us?"

Her nose wrinkled and she turned her face away, smiling when he poked it. "Yesss I'm sure. If Lukas doesn't start wiggling his little butt on my bladder tonight, I'm gonna try to get some much-needed sleep. Don't worry about me—you should go have a guys' night anyway. And if you love it, which I'm sure you will, then we'll still go see it together tomorrow like we talked about."

Sam scowled slightly. While he was looking forward to hanging out with Finn and Puck that evening, he still felt a bit guilty about leaving Mercedes at home alone.

"Do you want me to see if Quinn will come by and keep you company?"

She shook her head, "Cap, I'll be fine, I promise. The most I might do is finally get around to washing all the towels and outfits we got for Lukas got at the shower." She then stood up on her toes and gave his lips a gentle peck, "It's fine now open your last gift."

Sam returned the peck and then picked up the bag standing between them, and then walked with her to the bench to sit down. The final gift, or rather _gifts_ were a Tupperware container of Mercedes' peanut butter cookies, and a Miami Heat steering wheel cover.

Sam grinned at both gifts, but promptly pulled the peanut butter cookie container lid off. "Did you make these at Quinn's?"

Mercedes chuckled while he nibbled away at one cookie. "Yep. I made the dough last night but baked them this morning. I didn't want you to wake up and find out what I was up to so I asked Quinn if I could come over and use hers and Finn's oven instead."

"Well aren't you sneaky?" he sassed as his lips quirked into a smile again. He leaned over and kissed her temple, "Thank you for this—_all_ the gifts, Stormy."

"Mhm. Happy birthday, Babe."

A moment later, her soft lips were on his pair but she soon pulled away, "Um…I planned for us to stay at the park a little longer but…I think Lukas already moved his little butt on my bladder and there's no way in hell I'm using the porta-pots here."

Sam threw back his head to laugh and then stood up with his hand extended to Mercedes. "Come on. Let's get you and the squirt back home."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and walked beside her for almost the entire trip back to the house; a few times he let her hand go and strode ahead to face her and surprise her with a few more random pecks on the lips. When they finally reached the house, Mercedes sped ahead of him and made a beeline for the downstairs bathroom, and Sam went to put his birthday cookies in the kitchen. He poured each of them a bowl of cereal for a late breakfast and spent the early afternoon lounging around the house with Mercedes. Throughout, he was receiving phone calls from family and friends, all wishing him a 'Happy Birthday'.

By the time he finished talking to Stevie and Stacy, Mercedes had fallen asleep on the couch with her head in his lap. He gently ran a set of fingers through her lustrous hair and watched her sleep with the utmost adoration while his other hand's fingers were loosely tangled with hers, resting over her belly. Just as he was about to tilt his head back and join her in napping, the doorbell rang, causing him to sit up a little straighter than before. He looked down to Mercedes and prayed he wouldn't wake her as he got up and replaced his seat with a couple pillows for her.

She stirred slightly but settled down seconds later, never opening her eyes. Sam strode quickly to the door before another toll of the bell could be heard. Right away, his brows slanted at the unfamiliar face on his doorstep. The girl was short, wearing stockings to her knees and a red, puffy-shouldered dress that looked like it'd been made for a life size rag doll. Both of her hands were clenched to her sides—one was holding the handles to a pale blue gift bag—and her head was slightly lowered. Her dark brown hair hung on either side of her face, save her razor straight bangs above her brows.

It was his presence at the door, however, that made _her _stammer. Either that, or she naturally stuttered when speaking.

"H-hi…um…is Mercedes here?"

Sam raised his brow. Whoever she was, she wasn't a friend of Mercedes that he'd met before and he definitely would have remembered her, had she come to the shower. All of Mercedes' friends had made their unique impressions on Sam that day.

"Um…she's taking a nap. Can I help you?"

The girl looked incredibly nervous. Something about her felt oddly familiar to Sam, but he didn't know why.

"N-no, thank you. You're her boyfriend, right? Sam?"

His brows shot up again, "Um…yeah? How do you know me?"

He watched her draw in a deep breath and when she sighed it out, she finally introduced herself. "We spoke once before. I-…I'm Rachel Berry."

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! What do you think of Sam's birthday scavenger hunt? Sam's baby shower gift to Mercedes? Mercedes' birthday gifts to Sam? The return of Ms. Rachel Berry? Has she only come to apologize? How did she find Mercedes/Sam's place? More coming soon!**_


	31. Chapter 31

**May 2012**

_Rachel Berry_…

The sound of the name brought back immediate recollections and rage. Without another word, Sam started to close the door in her face but her hand flew out to stop it.

"Wait! Please, I just…I came to apologize and bring you guys a gift."

She gently shook the gift bag in her hands and smiled, hoping to entice Sam into letting her get what she wanted.

"Sorry," he said with a clipped response. "Mercedes is sleeping like I said, and we don't want or need your charity gift."

"It's not charity," Rachel protested. "I told you, I'm trying to apologize to her."

"And, _I_ already told _you_—she's sleep so feel free to leave."

"No, she's not sleep anymore."

Sam's head whipped to his right and saw Mercedes heaving herself to her feet with some assistance from the armrest while she covered her yawning lips. He immediately cut an unfriendly look to Rachel, but absolved it once he looked back to Mercedes again.

"We didn't wake you, did we?" he sadly asked.

She shook her head while approaching the open door, "No. I think I just liked having you there instead of those pillows. Who are you talking t—" Mercedes lips parted but no sound left them at the sight of Rachel Berry.

"What the hell? How'd you find me here?"

Rachel quickly looked to the floor, only to stare back in her face again, "Your mom told me where I might find you…you know, only after she promised to make my life a living hell if I upset you."

"Well congratulations, I'm upset. And you know my mom makes good on her word."

"Mercedes, please can I just talk to you for a moment? Please?"

"Listen Raggedy Ann," grumbled Sam, "This is my house and right now you're unwanted which means you're trespassing. So I suggest you do like I said before and clear off before I—"

"Sam, wait," said Mercedes, sounding exhausted of the situation already. She turned and put her hand tenderly to his chest, "It's fine. I'm only giving her a minute."

Sam's gaze was stern and livid, and Mercedes could tell his jaw was tightly clenched but he gave one curt nod and stepped away from the door, leaving Mercedes and Rachel alone.

"Wow, he…he's really protective of you."

"Cut the crap, Rachel. You pissed me off to the point that we could've lost our baby so no duh is he gonna bite your head off. What do you want?"

Whatever hers and Rachel's friendship might have once been was practically meaningless to Mercedes now. She typically wasn't one to cut ties with people and absolve friendships, but Rachel started the wedge between them when they entered high school and she transformed into an attention-hungry, self-centered know-it-all who had no qualms stepping on people in her rise for fame.

"I…I heard about what really happened to you in the paper."

"The paper?"

"You didn't know?..." when Mercedes shook her head, Rachel went on to quietly say, "The lawsuit against the Fort Shawnee clinic was printed in the paper about a week after the trial ended."

Though she masked it on her face, Mercedes was a bit surprised to know that the trial had made the paper, but she didn't dwell on it once Rachel held up a pale blue gift bag. "I-I..got this for you and your boyfriend."

Mercedes' brow arched as she warily reached for the bag. Rachel wasn't making eye contact with her; both her brown orbs were moving restlessly towards the ground as she said, "Kurt told me you had your baby shower a few weeks ago and…I um…" she finally looked up to Mercedes face with watery eyes, "Mercedes I really am sorry for what I did to you. And if you don't want to come back, I'd understand."

"Come back?"

Rachel tucked her thin pink lips in her mouth, "Kurt and Tina didn't tell you?"

She shook her head.

"Vocal Adrenaline isn't performing at Nationals. Half their club got into some freak accident and can't perform, and Jesse lost his voice the other day so…they're forfeiting the Nationals spot to us."

Mercedes' eyes widened. "You're kidding."

Rachel shook her head, smiling for only a moment, "No. We get to go to Chicago after all but…um…we have the money and Sugar and Kurt have been working on the costumes but…"

Somehow, Mercedes had an inkling as to what was coming next but she asked anyway, "But what?"

Her sharp tone commanded Rachel's eyes, "Mercedes we need you. Please just…we have a week to get a set list together and…" For the first time in years, she saw Rachel break, "Mercedes you were the better leader. I'm sorry I chased you away and called you a slut in front of everyone. It was wrong of me and now everyone in glee club hates me, and they think I'm a joke after I choked on my NYADA audition—"

"You choked?" Mercedes asked, her brows shooting up.

"—and everyone just keeps arguing about the songs. Even Mr. Schue can't get us all to agree, and I know some of them are just being difficult because they want you back but please…please come back."

Mercedes had been stunned into silence. If someone came to her yesterday and told her Rachel Berry was going to be on her doorstep begging for help and forgiveness, she would've laughed in their face.

"You're serious…?"

"Yes. Please, Mercedes. We really need you."

Mercedes pursed her lips tightly and then looked down at the gift bag in her own hands. She reached inside, curious to see what Rachel was trying to bribe her with.

"A video camera?"

Rachel nodded, her lips twitching into a nervous smile, "Yeah. It's small so you could pack it in a diaper bag if you wanted. And it supposed to have really long-lasting battery power, a-and you can even email video right to your family after you record it."

Mercedes shook her head, "Rachel…this is too much—Sam and I can't accept it."

"Please, Mercedes. I promise it's not a bribe to get you to come back."

She looked over the box a few times before putting the camcorder back inside the gift bag, still a bit dubious to how true her alleged promise was. With reluctance and a sigh she looked back to Rachel and said, "Thanks. But Rachel, in case you hadn't noticed," she glanced pointedly at her stomach, "I'm pregnant. I only have about a month left before this baby's due and I can't be dancing around on a stage in Chicago with you guys. So you're gonna have to go without me."

As planned, she let Rachel express silent disappointment, before she added, "But…"

Immediately Rachel's gaze returned to her face.

"I'll come by for a little bit over the next week and help you guys get a set list together. _Just_ for next week," she warned, raising an index finger to reprimand Rachel's bubbling excitement. "And usually once we've got the song together, the choreography will fall into place so I'm sure you guys can handle that. What's the theme for Nationals?"

"Songs that inspire," Rachel answered with a bright smile.

Mercedes nodded—the wheels in her head already beginning to turn. "Okay. I'll come by glee club on Monday. _You_ can tell everyone in the club that I'll be back for the week if you want but I'm only helping with the set list, okay?"

Rachel bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, giving little claps with her hands. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mercedes!" She stepped forward to give her a hug but hesitated and forced her hands back to her sides.

"I really am sorry, Mercedes," she mumbled again after coming back down from her temporary high.

Difficult as it was for Mercedes to say, she took a deep breath and told Rachel, "I forgive you."

Not wanting to carry on a discussion with Rachel any further, Mercedes stepped back and slowly closed the front door.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sam quietly asked once the door was shut.

Mercedes understood his reason for concern but she calmly told him, "Nothing's keeping me there, Cap. If things get heated or out of control, I can leave, and I _will_ leave."

"I'm gonna come with you."

"I'll be f—"

"Mercedes," he cut across, rubbing his temples, "for my sanity, I want to come. Puck can survive without us for what—a half hour a day, for one week? Just please."

Mercedes settled her lips and wandered over to him, gently pulling his hands away from his temples to hold them assuredly in hers. When she first fought with Rachel, he hadn't shown up until afterward; the second time she fought with Rachel he was helpless to the situation, which only worsened when she started feeling contractions. She wasn't going to press him into not being around if there was a third bout of conflict between her and her former friend.

"Okay, Captain." She rubbed her thumbs over the top of his hands while gazing in his green orbs, "We'll go together."

Sam closed his eyes and lowered his forehead to press against hers. "Thank you, Stormy."

* * *

_**This part of the chapter isn't really primarily focused on Sam more than Mercedes or vice versa. Enjoy!**_

Enticed by their newest baby gift, Sam and Mercedes spent a solid hour fiddling with the camcorder. Sam mostly recorded Mercedes once they got it up and running.

"Stop," she feebly demanded, smiling and raising her hand to the camera lens.

"No way, this is a home video for our son," argued Sam. He lowered the view to her rounded tummy while reaching out and poking her protruding belly button. "Boop!"

"Ugh, you're such a pest," she fussed, swatting his hand away.

Sam smirked from behind the camera, "Still love me?"

She rolled her eyes, "Of course."

"Then I'm good." His eyes watched her from the camera's tiny screen as he recorded. "So Stormy, what's a message you wanna give our son?"

Hearing him say 'our son' triggered a bashful smile upon her lips. She brought both hands to either side of her belly button and gazed down at it. "First is _always_ I love you. That's never gonna change. And second is I can't wait to meet you and have you in my arms and not sitting on my bladder or kicking at my ribs!" She grinned and then softened her tone again, "But…I'm so excited to see what you're gonna look like, Lukas. And I know I'm scared because…I don't wanna let you down or do something wrong, but I promise you I'm always gonna try my best for you. You're always gonna be my son—the most precious thing in my life."

She dwelled on her final words in private, and then brought her faze up to the camera to blow a kiss with both hands. After doing so, Mercedes leaned forward and took the video camera out of Sam's hands.

"Stormy!"

"Just let me see it," she insisted. "It's your turn to say something to baby Lukas."

"Okay but can I do the Darth Vader thing now?"

Mercedes rolled her eyes, "Fine. But not in the delivery r—"

"Luke…I am your father…" Sam grinned and then spoke normally at the camera, "Okay seriously, years from now when you're old enough to understand Star Wars I'm gonna need you to back your old man up on how epic that would've been at your birth."

He winked at his girlfriend and then went on, "Luke you really are gonna be surrounded by some of the best people on the planet. Your mom and I love you with everything we've got, and your grandparents and aunt and uncles are always gonna be here for you in one way or another, and we're all just ready for you to get here! Um…'cause you getting here would be…I can't even put it into words but let's just say, you're so important to me and just like your mom, I'm always gonna do my best for you and try my hardest not to let you down. I already have so much faith that you're going to be more than anything either of us could ever hope for. I love you, son.

The delivery of his words brought a hefty amount of tears to Mercedes' eyes. She located the "Stop" button and set the camcorder on the coffee table so that her hands were free to cuddle into Sam's side. "That was beautiful, Captain."

"Thanks," he muttered bashfully, rubbing slow circles along her arm with his thumb.

* * *

After getting over her interest in the camera, Mercedes went to the kitchen and worked on dinner with a few playful distractions from Sam. She was seasoning a couple steaks to broil for them when Sam entered the kitchen, slipped his hands around her middle and mimicked a mid-century Brooklyn accent.

"Pa'don me, miss. Name's Captain Steve Rogers. Most dames know me as Captain America, but I was just wonderin' if ya'd like to dance?"

Mercedes giggled and when she turned around in his arms she saw him wearing his hoodie with the cowl pulled over his eyes.

"Not now, Captain. You see, I'm trying to make this steak dinner for my boyfriend. It's his birthday today and he's gonna go see you and the other Avengers in your movie tonight."

"No kiddin'?" Sam smirked. "Well I'm sure his stomach can wait a while. I been waitin' to dance with a beautiful pa'tner like y'self for about 70 years."

Mercedes brows rose, "70 years?"

"Yes ma'am. I was trapped in some ice. Coma. Long story."

"Ohh," replied Mercedes with a wide smile, doing her best not to giggle. "Well, Captain. I'd love to but I really wanna get this dinner done before your friend, Iron Man shows up. Otherwise our chance to dance might get missed."

"You've gotta point there. Stark's a pushy guy. No class."

At that she giggled, "I dunno if he's classless, but…" when Sam raised a dubious look at her she laughed, "Okay Cap, I think your PS3's calling your name. Why don't you go play it while I cook and if there's time after my dinner with my boyfriend, we can share a dance. Deal?"

Sam's bright green eyes gazed in her face while his right hand came between them for a handshake. When Mercedes amused him by obliging with the handshake, he gripped her hand to keep her close and bent his head to give her lips a tender kiss.

"You drive a hard bargain, miss," he started once his lips were off of hers, "but I couldn't say 'no' to your pretty face." He tapped his finger beneath her chin and winked but when he turned to leave he felt a playful swat to his behind and whirled back around, dropping the Brooklyn accent.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Captain America gets an ass smack but I don't? What gives?"

She playfully shrugged, "Captain America's got that old fashion charm that's hard to resist. And the way he wears that suit? What can I say?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna remember this. Mhm, you wait and see. See if he ever gives Storm an eyeful after his morning showers."

He'd hoped that would get him a satisfying reaction from Mercedes but she simply shrugged and turned back around, placing the steaks on a sheet to go in the oven. As soon as she closed the oven, he came up behind her again and began tickling her sides.

"Sam!" she squeal, breaking out in a fit of giggles, "Stop it I have to finish!"

"I think you have to apologize for flirting with Captain America."

"He started it!" she gasped with a wide grin.

"Shh! Don't dwell on the details," he wittily replied, still wiggling his fingers up and down her sides.

"Sam I'm gonna pee on myself—stop!" she begged, laughing harder and pushing on his arms.

He lessened his tickles and instead took to poking her sides, "I still want my apology."

"Forget it!" she said, smiling at him. "Go play your game."

He narrowed his eyes and stuck his tongue out at her before turning around and childishly stomping out of the room.

"For that, I'll make sure your steak's the extra well done one!" Mercedes teased.

"Not cool!" she heard Sam call back, triggering more giggles from her.

Half an hour later, the couple was sitting in the living room, eating steak and baked potatoes and watching a _Family Guy_ re-run. Mercedes rinsed and cut up some celery sticks and baby carrots for herself to nibble on in addition to the rest of the meal. After they finished eating, Sam insisted on cleaning up for her so she could go upstairs and start gathering up all of Lukas' clothes and removing the tags and hangers off of the ones she'd planned to wash. She came back downstairs carrying a small basket in front of her, just as the doorbell rang.

"God let it be Puck and Finn this time," Mercedes loudly muttered, reaching the landing.

"Tony! Reed!" rejoiced Sam.

"Avengers! Assemb-motherfucker—you got a Captain America hoodie!" gawked Puck.

Sam assumed a typical superhero pose and added a smug smile, "Yup!"

"No way!"

"Yeah, Tony!" he replied back, matching Puck's enthusiasm, and then letting out a dreamy sigh, "My girlfriend is boss, hater."

"Hey, I'm not arguing that one!" said Puck before turning a charming smirk on Mercedes, "Sooo Mama Munroe, you know my birthday's in August, right?"

Mercedes snorted a laugh, "I'll keep that in mind, Stark."

"And where are the cookies? Mr. Fantastic over here told me Storm was at his place baking." Puck looked around with determined eyes, "I know you didn't eat 'em all yet."

"Psh, then you don't know me very well," retorted Sam. "Come on, let's go!"

The three men bustled out of the house but before the door closed, Sam rushed back in, gave Mercedes a quick peck on the lips and then zipped right back out.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! And I do apologize for only JUST revealing Finn's Marvel nickname (Reed Richards). I had Mr. Fantastic in mind for him for a while but for some reason I hadn't brought it up in the fic before. My bad! By default, Sam considers Quinn to be Sue Storms but still calls her "Quinn" since he and Puck haven't discussed it and made it official. Anyway, please leave reviews and let me know what you thought of this chapter! Thanks a million! More is coming and if you know which one of the two holidays the month of May is usually known for, you can probably guess what the next chapter is going to highlight. ;)**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**A/N: Heads up, throughout this chapter, there's going to be some short moments divided up. I didn't realize this chapter was going to be as lengthy as it was (the longest one yet!) but I wanted the beginning + Mother's Day to be the main focus. Anywho, enjoy!**_

**May 2012**

"Please, just take the list up to the school and tell them I'll try to make it up there tomorrow," Mercedes begged, sitting on the edge of the bed with her hand pressed into her pelvis.

Sam closed his fingers around the folded paper Mercedes handed him a moment ago. The weekend flew by and Mercedes utilized the time to craft the best set list suggestion she could think of for Nationals. Now she and Sam had been arguing for the past few minutes about Sam going up to the school without her, or as he saw it, him leaving her alone at the house while he went to help out the glee club that voted her out.

"Mercedes, what if you go into labor? No one's here to take you to the hospital."

"I'm not going to go into labor, Babe. But I'm not gonna be much help to the glee club if I keep freaking people out every few minutes with these Braxton Hicks."

To say that Sam was reluctant to agree to leaving was an understatement, and it showed as he remained rooted in front of his girlfriend.

"Sam, please?" she asked, squeezing her eyes shut and rubbing the side of her belly. "If you don't wanna stay and help them, at least give the list to Mr. Schue and tell him he can call me or something with more details."

With a short sigh, Sam shut his eyes, ran a hand down his face and then crouched in front of Mercedes. He placed both hands on her thighs and looked up in her eyes, "Are you sure, Stormy?"

She nodded, being her usual strong, brave self. "I'm sure."

Sam started to stand up again but Mercedes quickly reached for his hands and gripped them firmly to command his eyes on hers again. She smiled softly, "Thank you, Captain," and then tugged on his hands with puckering lips.

It took Sam no trouble to understand that; he leaned down and pecked her lips but abruptly pulled away when she gasped from another cramping. He cringed internally and ground his teeth together for a moment, with a gentle pull of his hands to free them. "Let me go now before I change my mind and stay."

Mercedes' eyes were closed and Sam could tell she was concentrating on breathing but she nodded to him. After snatching up his keys he headed downstairs and out the front door. He paused, thinking he could ask Quinn to come by and keep Mercedes company but neither hers nor Finn's cars were in their driveway. Puck had gone to Columbus two days ago and Lauren was working.

Out of options that wouldn't upset Mercedes, Sam bitterly resigned to just making his trip to McKinley a short one.

* * *

His walk through the hallways felt odd and familiar at the same time. It'd been almost 6 years since he'd graduated from the school and yet not much had changed from his days at the school; the big difference was that he wasn't required to be at any classes any more.

When he rounded the final corner that led tot eh choir room corridor, he heard low murmurs of disgruntled voices. Amongst them he recognized Kurt's voice, as well as Mercedes' friend, Tina, and the ever-obnoxious Rachel. Sam rolled his eyes but did his best to put himself in check before entering the classroom.

Right away he was met with silencing voices, curious eyes and a gasp for a girl Sam thought was named Sugar, but he couldn't be certain after having only met her once, briefly at the shower.

"Sam!" she squealed, obviously remembering him.

He nodded once and smiled, "Hi."

Mr. Schuester turned on his stool and perked up at the sight of his former student, "Hey! Sam Evans!" He stood up and clasped hands for a one-armed hug with the younger male, "Good to see you again. What brings you by?"

Sam looked from him to the group of current New Directions members. "Mercedes sent me with some songs for your set list for Nationals. She's gonna try and come tomorrow."

"Is she okay?" Kurt immediately asked, looking on high alert.

Sam nodded, "Yeah, she just couldn't come today." His eyes lingered on Kurt's meaningfully, hoping that he'd understand the 'not now' look he was trying to relay.

"So what songs did she suggest?" asked Artie Abrams.

"I don't know—I didn't look," muttered Sam as he reached inside his pocket to retrieve the paper. He unfolded the lavender slip and let his eyes skim down the sheet at Mercedes' neat handwriting.

"Okay, so she wrote, 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'. Kurt sings it as a solo for the ballad with back-up from everyone else."

There were ceding murmurs around the room as Kurt's face lit up, but Sam ignored them all and went on, "Um… 'Breakaway' by Kelly Clarkson. She wrote that it should be a duet between Rachel and Tina."

Someone murmured exactly what Sam was thinking: "She let _Rachel_ feature in a number?"

Sam glanced up to see Mercedes' friend, Sugar leaning towards Kurt with a visibly upset look on her face. As much as he didn't want to defend Mercedes' decision on this, he swallowed his personal thoughts like a chalky Pepto pill and told the group, "She probably just went with songs she thought you guys could do that would give you the best chances of winning." Sure enough, when he looked back down at the paper, Mercedes had written a small note beneath: "I know it seems crazy but I wont' deny that Rachel's one of the stronger singers in the group". He read this aloud and everyone went silent, reluctant to agree. "For a group number she said to vote on either 'You Can't Stop the Beat' from _Hairspray _orLa Vie Boheme from _Rent_. Change lyrics as needed."

All the girls broke out in instant squeals and a few of the guys smirked while others nearly jumped out of their seat from the way the girls reacted.

"'La Vie Boheme'! Please, can we please do that one? Even if we have to alter or cut parts out, please!" begged Rachel with wide hopeful eyes fixed on Mr. Schuester.

"For once I'm seconding Rachel. No one else is gonna do that," noted Kurt. "They'll be too busy performing Gaga, Bieber and Nicki Minaj numbers for Nationals."

Joe raised his hand, "Um…is La Vie Boheme gonna be something we can all learn in a week?"

"Of course we can!" answered Rachel with unfailing confidence. "Joseph, I realize you're new to the show tunes songbook but La Vie Boheme is an unforgettable number from an even more unforgettable rock opera. Don't worry—I'll loan my iPod to you so you can learn it."

"Wait hold on guys," spoke Mr. Schue. "I'm not so sure about doing 'La Vie Boheme' for Nationals."

"Come on Mr. Schue, it's not like they have to keep it Disney. I mean…are the lyrics really _that_ racy?" asked Sam. He really wasn't familiar with Rent but if Mercedes was suggesting it, how bad could it really be?

The aversion from Rachel, Kurt and some of the others who seemed to know the song, gave him a clear answer: yes, some of the lyrics were _that_ racy.

Kurt recovered from his wary glances soon and said to the group, "If I know Mercedes, _and I do_, her focus was probably less on the lyrical content of 'La Vie Boheme' and more on the fact that it has an even split of female and male vocals. But if Mr. Schue's really so opposed to us performing it at Nationals, I'm sure we could divide the parts to 'You Can't Stop the Beat'."

"Cool. Are you guys all cool with doing 'You Can't Stop the Beat'? I kinda know the song so…maybe go with something upbeat for the choreography. You can al stand still for Kurt's solo and since Rachel and Tina have a duet, most of you won't have a lot more choreography to learn other than whatever you guys come up with for the _Hairspray_ song."

"Oh!" piped up Rachel, "What if we work in something lyrical with the guys for our duet, Tina?"

Tina still hadn't been on good terms with Rachel but she kindly replied, "Let's help figure out the group number before we go roping in any of the guys."

Sam regarded Rachel with annoyed curiosity to see how she was going to respond to Tina's idea. Instead, of a critical Rachel-esque response, Rachel merely nodded and went back to trying to find a niche amongst all the smaller clumps of glee club members who were now working on choreography ideas for the big group number.

With one quick look around the room, Sam felt like the New Directions were off to a good start; even Mr. Schue was engrossed in helping them figure out choreo. He turned to leave but the moment he stepped into the hallway, a hand came up to his shoulder, seizing his attention. Sam whirled around, confused until he found himself looking at Kurt.

"How is she really?" asked Kurt.

"She's fine. She's been having Braxton Hicks, so—" The look on Kurt's face made him pause and explain, "They're like false labor pains. Like the body's conditioning itself for the real deal."

"So she's not about to have the baby?"

"Do you really think I'd be here if she was?" Sam replied—his voice laced with slight irritation, "But if it did happen, I'd need to get back since she's by herself right now. I only came up here because she begged me to."

Kurt nodded, "Thanks Sam. Let her know I'll call her tonight. If she's feeling up to it, I'll come by after school tomorrow to visit her."

Sam nodded back and faintly smiled, "I'll let her know. Later, Kurt."

* * *

Mercedes didn't make it up to the school until Friday. Between the return of her morning sickness and the sporadic cramping, she and Sam felt it best for her to stay at the house and rest but she sent Sam in her place with a promise to keep working on the comics with Puck. Her brief appearance with Sam on Friday lifted the spirits of the club; half the time was spent asking her about her baby while the other half of her visit was spent in the auditorium so that the New Directions could show her what they put together for Nationals.

When they finished, Mercedes grinned and clapped for them.

"You guys are gonna be amazing this weekend."

"Are we gonna see you at graduation, Mercedes?" asked Tina, stepping up to the front of the group.

Mercedes looked to Sam and then back up to her friends, "I'm hoping so but…we'll see."

After a bit more of conversing, and accepting some apologies from some of the members in the group, Mercedes said her farewells, wished them the best and started to go with Sam.

"W—Mercedes, wait!" called out Rachel once she and Sam reached the exit.

Mercedes turned and gave Rachel a curious gaze.

"Well…seeing as you're captain and all, I was just…wondering who you were going to name as your successor."

Mercedes' head jerked back a fraction, taken aback by the question. "Uh…well I hadn't really thought about it recently."

Rachel cocked her head and smiled, "You must've thought about it at some point."

She pursed her lips and then looked about the group, "Honestly? If my opinion's still that valuable to you guys, I'd name Joe the next captain of New Directions. Joe's a good guy—willing to hear everyone out and you guys have respected him all year. So…I'd name Joe."

With that, she turned and continued on with Sam, letting Mr. Schue decide if Joe would become the next captain or not.

On the drive home, Mercedes took Sam's hand and gripped it for his attention. "Thank you for coming up here to help them, Cap. I know you didn't want to but…it means a lot to me that you did anyway."

Sam smiled, "I did it for you and I'm glad your glee club pulled this together before tomorrow."

Through a yawn she replied, "Me too."

* * *

Saturday turned out to be a busy day for Mercedes and Sam, separately. Mercedes went to spend the day at her parent's house while Sam took care of some errands around town with Puck and Abby.

"I'aunt that," spoke Abby with her tiny index finger jutting out.

Puck slowed the shopping cart down and saw her pointing to a colorful box of Push-Ups. In an instant, his face turned leery and he shook his head, "Ohhh no, baby girl. Your mom'll kill me if I get you those Push-Ups."

"I'aunt thaaat," whined Abby, jutting out her lip with a severe pout.

Sam chuckled, "Go ahead and get 'em. Stormy and I will keep the box and Abbster can have one tomorrow night for dessert."

Puck rolled his eyes but stepped away from the cart to grab the box, "Dude you are gonna be such a push-over when Luke gets here."

"Tsh, I am not."

"Yeah you are. Look how easy you gave into Abby's pouting."

Sam rolled his eyes this time, "Like you were gonna stick to your guns. She would've been fussing in a heartbeat."

"So? She'd get over it and life would go on."

With a knowing grin, Sam mumbled, "Or you'd go back and get her the Push-Ups."

"Hey! I heard that, a-hole!"

"A-Hole!" mocked Abby in a chipper tone.

Both Sam and Puck stopped, giving Abby a stunned look like she was sounding off an alarm.

"A-Hole! A-Hole! A-Hole!"

Sam clamped his mouth shut and quickly vanished from the aisle, though his laughs were still heard by Puck, who was trying to stop his daughter's parroting.

"Abby don't say that."

"A-Hole!"

"Abby!"

Giving up on his discretion, Sam return to the aisle with an arm draped across his shaking chest. "Smooth move, Tony," he muttered with hissing laughs.

"Shut it, Rogers," Puck muttered back.

Eventually he and Sam talked Abby out of repeating "The 'A' word" and finished up their shopping.

"Are you ready, dude?" asked Puck, toting Abby at his hip.

Sam knew exactly what he was talking about, "How many times are you gonna ask me that? You've asked me like…every other day this week. Yes I'm ready. I just want him to get here, and I know Stormy feels the same way."

Puck chuckled, "Yeah I think that's just a thing preggo chicks say when they get to the home stretch. Tired of the big belly and all."

With a shrug Sam said, "I guess so."

"You guys take any of those classes?"

"What like Lamaze and stuff like that?"

Puck nodded, "Yeah. I mean you don't really have much more time."

"We're signed up to take a new parents class next week. It's supposed to go over breathing stuff for her and basic stuff for both of us—changing diapers, sleep schedules and stuff like that."

"Fun," Puck sarcastically replied, smirking at his friend. "So I'm picking Mercedes tomorrow and dropping her and Jenny off, right?"

Sam nodded, loading up the back of Puck's trunk with groceries. "Yeah and I'm gonna get started with the dinner stuff at my place."

"Cool, bro. Hey so what's the deal with Reed and Quinn?

"Beats me," he replied with a shrug. "I asked him if he and Quinn would wanna join us and the girls for Mother's Day but he said they already had plans."

Puck shrugged from the rear passenger door, buckling Abby into her car seat, "Huh. Maybe they're having dinner with Judy and Carole."

"Yeah, maybe," Sam nonchalantly mumbled. In truth, Sam figured spending Mother's Day around Abby and Mercedes probably wasn't a high interest for Quinn.

"So where to next?"

While closing the trunk, Sam said, "The flower shop. We need to confirm the delivery. Oh and I wanna run a nickname by you for Quinn on the way."

Puck smirked, climbing into the driver's seat. "I think I already know, but I'm all ears."

* * *

Sunday morning, Mercedes woke up to the smell of coffee and oranges. Her brows furrowed but the more she surfaced to consciousness, the sooner she became aware of Sam softly crooning her nickname from nearby.

"Storrrmy. Wake up, Mommyyyyy."

She groaned but smiled from hearing him refer to as 'mommy'."Baaabe," she whined. "Let me sleep."

"But it's already 8. You're gonna miss church."

Reluctantly, Mercedes sat up only to be greeted by Sam sitting at the end of the bed, already dressed in his Sunday best with a tray propped up in front of him. A mug of coffee, a tall glass of orange juice, a bowl of fruit and another bowl of Cheerios all sat on the tray with two cards addressed "Mommy" and "Stormy" on the envelopes.

Mercedes lowered her head in her hand, smiling brightly; soon she looked back up at Sam and was still smiling when she asked, "Has anyone ever told you that you're too much?"

He shamelessly shrugged, "Maybe once or twice. Or daily. I dunno."

She giggled softly and carefully scooted towards him and the tray. "I can't drink coffee."

"I know—that's for me."

"How long have you been up?"

"Not sure. Early enough to need coffee," he finally decided.

Mercedes grinned and plucked a grape from the fruit bowl. "I've never had breakfast in bed before."

"Well this is gonna be a couple firsts for you today, hm? First breakfast in bed, first epic Mommy's Day."

"Epic Mommy's Day?"

Sam nodded, "Yep now go ahead and eat up—you know the service starts at 9:30, and you've got plans after it's over."

Her brows shot up, "I do?"

Sam grabbed his coffee mug from the tray and sauntered back out of the room, "Clock's ticking, Stormy!"

Mercedes stared after him for a moment and then shook her head, returning her gaze back to the tray. While she ate a few more pieces of fruit, she opened the cards, starting with the one addressed to "Mommy". The front of it had a baby Mickey Mouse saying, "Today's about YOU Mommy!" And when she opened it, she recognized Sam's poorly-disguised handwriting:

"_Happy Mommy's Day Mommy! Sorry I'm not there yet but I can't wait to meet you. Daddy says you're real pretty. I love you lots and lots! Love, Lukas_"

She blushed and smiled even brighter from the card's content, and though she knew it wasn't really from Lukas, she still found herself wiping away some small tears. She then moved on to open Sam's card to her. The cover had tiny purple flowers printed all over and read "To my wife on Mother's Day" but Sam had crossed out wife and handwrote "Stormy" above, making Mercedes giggled softly. She opened the card and jumped a bit when she saw that the entire card had been written in.

"_I can't wait to not have to cross that word out. I hope one day you will be my wife. Anyway I just wanted you to know how much I love you. And I don't know if I say it enough but I'm so proud of you for everything you've accomplished and overcome these past 8 months. I love you for toughing through it all and building your life around our son. I fall in love with you more and more everyday and I feel really blessed to be able to call you mine._ _You really are my better half Mercedes. Happy Mother's Day, Stormy! Love, Sam/Captain A_"

Her heart did a little flip as she re-read the first two sentences but sound herself reading the card's entire content and again, just so she could re-live the warm, giddy, teary-eyed feeling it gave her the first time she laid eyes on the words.

She folded the card shut again, pressed it to her chest and then set it down next to her other card so she could quickly finish eating and get dressed for the day. After a quick shower, freshening up her hair and applying light make-up, Mercedes dressed in a bright yellow scoop neck sundress with a thin purple belt and white leggings. She took her cards and purse and headed to the stairs, only to be surprised again. From up above she saw that Sam had covered every flat surface of the living room with vases and mugs of low-cut purple tulips and white roses. At least two dozen purple, pink and white Mother's Day balloons were spread out and weighed down around the room as well.

"Sam Evans, you are crazy!"

He grinned crookedly at her, "I'm glad you like it."

She took her time coming down the stairs while staring in awe at the spectacle he'd created. He met her at the bottom step and pulled her close for a quick, gentle kiss on the lips. "Happy Mother's Day."

She smiled again trying to ignore her watering eyes, "Thank you, Captain. And I loved the cards."

Sam grinned softly and let her go so she could prop them both on the mantel, and then the two left for Mercedes' church.

While there, she was wished a Happy Mother's Day by several people in her congregation and was showered in hugs by her parents, who also had a Mother's Day card for her.

The overwhelming amount of love she'd been receiving that day made her tear up more than once. But Sam started on some of his impressions to keep her laughing the entire ride home. No sooner had they returned home and she'd settled on the couch did the doorbell ring.

"I got it!" Sam called from the kitchen when she halfway off the couch. He zipped through the lving room and opened the door to let Puck, Lauren and Abby in.

Mercedes gasped happily and opened her arms for Abby. The petite toddler ran straight for her and was lifted up in Mercedes' lap with a playful groan.

"Ugh you're getting so big!" she said with a smile.

Abby on the other hand was preoccupied by her growing belly. "Wassat?"

Mercedes giggled, "Can you say 'Baby'?"

"Be-be!" she smartly stated, patting Mercedes' tummy.

"That's right—there's a baby in there, Abby. His name is Lukas. Can you say 'Lukas'?"

Abby looked up at her and very clearly spoke, "Looks!"

"Abbster!" called out Sam, demanding his hugs from her. She slid off Mercedes' lap and trotted over to her Uncle Sammy.

"You ready, Ororo?"

Mercedes looked to Puck curiously, "Ready for what?"

"Epic Mommy's Day!"

Lauren looked at her flatly, "Don't worry—he wouldn't tell me either."

"Course not, Jenny, love!" Puck jubilantly stated, looking at his wife, "You and Mama Munroe are having your own day and that's all you need to know."

Sam came around the couch carrying Abby, and as Mercedes stood up he pecked her on the lips and then wandered towards the kitchen again. "See you later, Stormy. Have fun Jen!"

She and Lauren were ushered out the door by Puck and driven into town without so much as a whiff of a clue as to where they were being taken. Both women tag-teamed 20 Questions with Puck but he hadn't yielded to a 'yes' or 'no' once. Finally, Puck pulled into a large parking lot and stopped the car in front of the Lima Day Spa. He leaned across the armrest to peck Lauren's cheek and then exchanged looks between her and Mercedes. "Give them your names when you get inside. Everything's already taken care of, ladies."

Mercedes' lips crept up into a smile, wondering when she might wake up from how surreal this amazing day was.

She watched Lauren lean across the armrest to hug Puck, "Thanks, Baby."

"Yeah, thank you, Stark," said Mercedes as she got out of the car. "And please thank Sam for me too."

"Hey, I'm not kissing him or anything for you. But I'll tell him you said 'thanks'."

After both girls were out of the car, Puck drove off. Mercedes looked up at the moniker and then to Lauren. "Well…ready?"

"Oh hell yeah," Lauren eagerly replied. "I'm so ready to get my R&R on here."

Lauren sauntered confidently to the door and Mercedes waddled right behind her. As Puck said, the hostess at the door had their names jotted down and showed them to the back to give them lockers, robes and a tour of the spa. After being instructed to change into their robes, they were taken to their own private room for manicures, pedicures and avocado facials.

"Oh my God my feet are gonna be so grateful after this," Mercedes said with a content sigh.

"Mmmhm seriously. I never was able to get Puck to understand just how amazeballs foot rubs and pedicures were when I was pregnant with Abby."

"I can't believe those two splurged on us like this today."

Lauren chuckled shortly, "I can. Sam needed to do this for you.

Mercedes raised a cucumber from her eye, "Say what?"

Lauren must have picked up the sharpness in her voice because she waved her off, "I don't mean it like a bad thing. I just mean he needed a chick in his life who was going to appreciate the good things he does for her. He's lucky he's got you. You two seem to really fit together—keeping each other calm and happy-stuff like that. Plus you like his inner dork and believe me, not a lot of girls can tolerate that let alone find it cute or funny."

Mercedes giggled and joked, "Yeah I guess that's true. But then what does that say about us?"

"That we're both a bucket full of crazy!" Lauren replied without hesitation.

Both girls grinned and giggled and settled back into their thoughts about the relaxing pedicure and facials they were currently getting.

"I wonder what the guys are doing now that we're gone…"

* * *

"That's not how you do it!"

"Yes it is!" fussed Sam. "You boil it and then add the pasta! See?"

Puck shook his head, "You need to add the noodles with the water so they get hot together. Duh!"

Sam gave a wary look at Puck and then sighed and dropped all the spaghetti noodles inside the cold pot of water, and then turned on the gas stove.

"Alright what about the sauce?"

"Easy. Just open the top and stick it in the microwave."

Right away, Sam regarded him sharply, "Now I know that's not right. It's a glass jar—we'd burn our fingers trying to get take it out."

"Just do it, Cap. We'll use a dish towel to take it out or something. Geeze, when are you gonna start trusting me?" Puck scolded, shaking his head.

"When are _you_ gonna get the salad together?" retorted Sam. "The girls are gonna be back in an hour and we gotta make sure everything's ready."

"Don't worry. Salads take like…two seconds to make."

"I really hope you're right about the spaghetti," muttered Sam with an apprehensive glance inside the pot.

"It's fine. Besides if it's wrong we can just order pizza."

"No way, dude."

"Why not?"

Sam shifted his weight from foot to foot. "If I order pizza for dinner one more time, Stormy's gonna bite my head off. He shook his head, "She's a little more vicious about that kinda thing these days…anyway, I've maxed out on pizza dinners for now. But I grabbed a back-up plan yesterday when we were at the store.

"You did?" Puck asked, his eyes following Sam to the freezer.

Sam pulled out a rectangular box that read the brand for a frozen lasagna.

Slowly, Puck smirked, "Good thinking, Cap!"

As Puck left the room to check on his sleeping daughter, Sam grabbed a wooden spoon and plunged it into the pot of not yet boiling water. All the spaghetti noodles Sam dumped into it had clumped together into three large hunks of semi-stiff spaghetti. HE turned and held it up for Puck, "Plan B?"

"Uh. Yeah."

After dropping mess of noodles back into the pot, Sam preheated the oven and muttered, "Cold water, my butt."

"Whatever," Puck muttered back.

* * *

About an hour later, Puck ventured back out to pick up his wife and friend. Meanwhile, Sam was zipping back and forth between the kitchen and the living room, setting up dinner for the four on the coffee table. After cleaning up in the kitchen and making sure everything looked right, he heard three doors shut from outside, followed by muffled chatter that soon became comprehensible.

"..and then they told h— awwww!" gushed Lauren.

Mercedes had been right there with her, glowing and smiling in awe. Her eyes skimmed over the lasagna dinner arrangement and then landed on Sam who was approaching her with his hands behind his back.

"Happy Mother's Day, Stormy," said Sam, handing her a heavy lavender gift bag.

Before taking the bag, she reached out and slid her arms around him. "I love all this, and the spa was amazing."

Sam kissed the top of her head and waited for her to let him go before handing her the gift again. Once it was in her possession, he took her free hand and guided her to the couch to sit down for dinner; Puck and Lauren sat on the loveseat, opposite them.

"I'll open it later. Promise," she whispered.

Thoguh he'd been anxious for her to open it, he yielded to her with a smile and nod and then turned his attention to the dinner with their friends.

During dinner, Abby woke up from her nap and the give sat around chatting and joking and laughing—enjoying one another's company. When things settled down and Sam brought out four cupcakes and a Push-Up for Abby, they all found themselves entertained by Abby's excited take with the dessert treat.

Puck, Lauren and Abby stuck around for a little bit after dinner—mostly long enough for Puck to help Sam clean up the dishes—and after they left, Mercedes finally grabbed her gift bag to see her gifts.

One by one, Sam watched Mercedes pull out her gifts: a pair of baby Air Jordans for Lukas, a custom wooden picture frame with "Mommy and Lukas" carved into the top border; three charms to add to her necklace Sam had given her from Christmas.

"When I got that necklace for you, I didn't know pearls were a birthstone for June but when I Googled it, it was one of the ones that came up," he admitted. As Mercedes held the three charms in her hand—a silver "M" for Mercedes and Mommy, a silver musical note and a small, oval Alexandrite stone—Sam pointed to the stone and explained, "That's supposed to be the actual June birthstone."

She gently closed her hand around them and held the charms to her chest for a moment, appearing as though she was making a wish on them, and when she opened her eyes again, she looked directly at Sam. "I love these—all of the gifts and everything you and Stark did today. It really was an epic Mommy's Day and I love that you guys made it happen."

Sam smiled when she leaned into his side; right away his arm came around her shoulder and he held her there until a series of yawns escaped her lips.

"Ready to call it a night?"

She nodded against his side, "Mhm the massage they gave me before I left the spa almost put me to sleep but Lukas decided that was a good time to get some kicks in."

Sam smiled, moving his hand automatically to her firm bump, "You're gonna keep your mommy and I on our toes, aren't ya, Squirt?"

Mercedes giggled softly and again Sam kissed the top of her head before standing and offering a hand to her, "Ma'am?" he spoke, giving her a bit of his Captain America impression, "Mind if I escort ya upstairs?"

She grinned up at him, "Not at all, Captain."

* * *

Mercedes walked her tired yet relaxed self up to the bedroom beside Sam with their fingers intertwined the entire trek. They both changed into their pajamas and slipped into the bed, meeting one another in the middle of the bed. Rather than cuddling up to her from behind, Sam softly requested that she face him tonight.

Intrigued, Mercedes complied and laid on her right side, gazing in the dark at Sam's face. She could make out the rise in his cheeks and found herself smiling along with him. A moment later, his fingertips ran a smooth, gentle trip along her bare arm, tracing invisible shapes that caused her to shiver.

"You're so beautiful, Mercedes," he whispered sincerely.

She smiled and lightly reminded him, "It's dark in here, Sam."

He must have rolled his eyes or something but his wits were about him when he replied, "I don't need the lights on to know that you're beautiful."

She didn't know what to say back; his impromptu compliment made her blush and lower her gaze bashfully but when she looked back up into his eyes, he was leaning close and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, her nose and then finally her lips.

Their lips pressed together for an undetermined number of seconds and when they finally pulled apart, Sam stopped tracing shapes along her arm and moved to fiddling with what little of her hair was exposed from her wrap.

Mercedes smiled again, "You're such a goofball," she whispered back.

"Yeah but you love me anyway."

Her smile touched her eyes now, "That's true."

She shut her eyes, bowed her head towards her chest and scooted a little bit closer to Sam—as close as her stomach would allow, and reached for him to keep her close. And when his warm arms granted her unspoken wish, she bore a sanguine smile until she was too deep in her sleep to control it.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! What did you think of Mother's Day? Fortunately, or unfortunately this will be the last May chapter. Lukas is getting closer and closer to arriving! Oi and once again I blew it on mentioning another nickname earlier on. When Puck says 'Jenny/Jenny, love/Jennifer' he's referring to Lauren being Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk; smart, strong but a force to reckon with when pissed. ;)**_


	33. Chapter 33

_**A/N: Skipping ahead a month. I had ideas for another May (or possibly early June) chapter, but I decided to scrap the depth and skim through it for the start of this chapter instead. I send my thanks for the reviews of course. I definitely love getting all your feedback on each chapter. Also, I wanted to address something that's repeatedly come up in various reviews and PMs. In regard to Sam and Mercedes' intimacy or lack thereof in this fic, I promise you the bits that have been given and the ones that have been addressed & brushed over are very much intentional. By no means do I want to desexualize Mercedes like RIB+ have pretty much done, but I also believe that Mercedes is a somewhat private person about most levels of intimacy. So that was one of my reasons for giving only little moments throughout the fic so far, and why most of them have been in private (hand holding, cuddling, hugging, pecking, kissing, spooning, poking, tickling, ass-swatting, massaging, etc.).**_

_**Now I know that I've had a handful of reviews from people wondering when she and Sam are going to finally have sex. On the one hand I understand people's curiosity but at the same time I want people to understand that the top focus of this fic wasn't "let's see when Mercedes gets deflowered" (and I know that wasn't what all of you were conveying in some of your reviews but I just want to explain for those who were/are wondering). I do acknowledge that her virginity isn't something that can or should be ignored nor do I want to. Her situation with Sam is unique on multiple levels: their age difference, their means of bringing a child into this world, etc. And her lack of sexual experience adds to the uniqueness since she's pregnant/having a baby without ever having had sex. **_

_**This brings me to my other reason for why the Samcedes' intimate moments you've read about have been small thus far in the fic/their relationship. I want to handle their first time very carefully and thoughtfully, but I wanted to also let you all know a few things along the way: 1, yes she has her reason(s) for not having had sex yet; 2, they are both physically and emotionally attracted to one another & have expressed both; 3, hormonal as she's been, Mercedes doesn't feel comfortable exploring her first romp while sporting a baby bump; 4, Sam has said that he isn't going to pressure or pester Mercedes about the two of them having sex. As much of a dork as he is, he's equally a gentleman and Mercedes does know that about him (it's one of the many qualities about him that she's fallen in love with). **_

_**Anyway, I hope this clears up some of the concerns without revealing too much about things to come. And I'm really glad that so many of you are enjoying this fic! It means a lot and I'll do my best not to let any of you fabulous readers down. Enjoy Chapter 33!**_

* * *

**Mid-June 2012**

May came and went in the blink of an eye. The week following Mother's Day, Mercedes had her last doctor's appointment; Dr. Brenner let her and Sam know that the next time they would be seeing her would be for the birth. She left them with papers to map out their birth plan and a few dates for the two to come and receive a tour of the maternity ward before Lukas' due date. The morning following, Sam and Mercedes found out the reason for Quinn and Finn's absence on Mother's Day.

_Sam went on his morning jog early in the morning and returned around the time Mercedes was typically awake. He stood at the front door to shut of his iPod and take out his keys, and caught sight of Quinn watering her flowers out front._

"_Hi Sam!" she chirped._

_Sam smiled, "Morning, Quinn!" He stepped off the front steps and walked across the lawn, "We missed you and Finn on Mother's Day."_

"_Oh…sorry about that," she said lowering her gaze and fighting a smile._

_It hadn't gone unnoticed by Sam; her arched a brow, "Um…so…what'd you guys do?"_

"_Well…" her lips tugged at a smile. "We had lunch at my mom's and dinner at Finn's parent's house. We um…had some important news to share with them."_

"_Oh yeah?" Sam smiled with her. "What's up?"_

_Quinn smiled even wider, "Well..." she started again. "Let's just say little Lukas will have a play date buddy by New Year's."_

_Sam blinked twice with wide eyes. "Quinn, you're pregnant?"_

_She nodded twice, grinning wide._

"_Oh my God…wow! Wow, congratulations! So you're due in January?"_

"_Yep! Right around New Years. We found out a little after your birthday but we wanted to wait before telling everyone."_

"_Quinn that's great news. Seriously, congrats to you and Reed. Oh and speaking of…Puck and I decided your nickname's gonna be Sue."_

_She raised her brows, "Sue?"_

"_Sue Storms! She's Mr. Fantastic's lady, and the Invisible Woman in the Fantastic 4!"_

_Her grin froze on her face for a moment and then she giggled, "Um..okay. Well thanks."_

"_Yep! Mind if I go tell Stormy? I know she'll be really excited for you guys too."_

"_Of course. But don't tell Puck or Lauren yet. Finn and I are gonna tell them tonight when we all go get dinner."_

_Sam pantomimed locking his lips. "My lips are sealed." He then leaned forward and hugged her. "Congratulations."_

_Quinn hugged him back, "Thank you, Sam."_

A couple of weeks later, Mercedes and Sam took the twenty-minute hospital tour, learning where to check in and where labor and delivery, and the recovery rooms were. Aside from that, graduation, a few parenting & Lamaze classes and spending Memorial Day weekend in Kentucky at Sam's parent's house, Mercedes had been at home, working but also trying to mentally prepare for Lukas' arrival. In between naps and work, she picked up her journal a lot more frequently than she had in the past couple months and took to writing out some of her worries and excitement.

Relief came mid-June when Santana and Brittany came home for the summer from Kentucky and decided to pay her a visit in the late afternoon. Neither of them was able to make it up for the graduation so after receiving a quick tour of the house, Mercedes decided to fill them in.

"Oh my God you guys, it was so damn hot in the auditorium. The AC was busted and those gowns are not the business when it's muggy like that. Ugh."

"That sounds really miserable," said Brittany.

"It was," said Mercedes as she folded some laundry against her tummy. "But other than that the ceremony wasn't so bad. Coach Sylvester mowed over Principal Figgins when his speech got winded, and all the New Directions grads got a little nod for winning Nationals this year."

"Man I still can't believe they won without any of us there," Santana huffed. "But whatever—word has it you led them to that win and not the Hobbit so…nice going, Aretha."

Mercedes rolled her eyes about the nickname and decided to ask her friends about their first year of college, but Santana spoke up again before she had a chance.

"So where's your trouty-mouthed boy toy at?"

"He and Puck drove to Columbus last night but they'll be back later today. I'm actually really glad you guys came over though. I was gonna call Kurt or Tina to see if one of them could take me Father's Day shopping to get Sam's gift since I can't drive anywhere anymore."

"Father's Day? Wait, what day is it?" asked Brittany, casting a confused look at her girlfriend.

"June 15th," Mercedes answered. "Yesterday was Lukas' due date."

"_What?_" balked Santana. "And the baby daddy's not here?"

Remaining calm, Mercedes told her, "It's fine, Santana. The meeting he and Puck are at was mandatory for their job—he tried to get out of it but he couldn't so he stayed as late as possible last night. And anyway, they'll be heading back soon like I said and I feel fine. Besides most babies don't even come on their due date."

"So what? What kinda man skips town when their baby mama's about to pop?"

Mercedes' expression fell to a murderous glare. "The kinda man that's trying to provide for his family and knows better than to fight with his very pregnant girlfriend when she insists he handle his job."

"Oh snap," Brittany whispered.

Santana folded her arms and pursed her lips, turning her head away from Mercedes with indignation all over her face, and then finally looked back, "So where did you need to go to get his Dad's Day present?"

"Lima Mall. They have all the shops I need to go to." She counted off on her fingers while explaining, "Carter's, Macy's, Sweet Dreams and Target. There's this matching father-baby pajama set that'd be so cute for him and Lukas. Macy's has Usher's VIP cologne I smelled in a magazine and I really wanna get it for him. He loves the cupcakes at Sweet Dreams, and at Target, he's got all these comics in boxes in the office…I don't know why he hasn't gotten something nice to put them on yet, but I saw this bookcase-type thing that would look good for him to display them over there."

She pointed to the vacant space below the living room's only window and went on to say, "I think it could go there."

"Damn. Trouty's getting spoiled."

Mercedes shrugged, "He spoils me a lot, and it's not like he doesn't deserve all this. Plus he made Mother's Day really special for me so I want Father's Day to be special for him too."

"Alright well get your shoes on, Mom of Fury. Target's 50 shades of cray on the weekend and I don't wanna end up stuck there 'til closing."

"Me neither," said Mercedes. "I wanna be here when Sam gets back."

Brittany airily chimed in, "And I need to get back to planning ways to sneak Lord Tubbington in the dorms in the fall."

"Let's get going then. _Vamanos_!" urged Santana.

* * *

Two hours later, Mercedes, Brittany and Santana were standing at the check-out In Target, two people away from the clerk. Santana had her arms folded across her chest and Brittany was pulling the paper off of a cupcake she got herself at Sweet Dreams. Mercedes stood behind the shopping cart with all of Sam's Father's Day presents resting inside. She had pulled the black and blue Thomas the Tank Engine boxers for Sam, and matching onesie for Lukas out of the Carter's bag to have a look at them once more before they ended up gift wrapped at home.

"God, can you believe half our time was spent in here? Macy's? No problem. Sweet Dreams? In and out. Even _Carter's_ was full of crazy-ass moms and it wasn't this bad."

A few Target team members angrily eyed Santana, but she merely shrugged and held her arms out, daring for one of them to say something to her. When they all carried on with what they were doing she loudly mumbled, "Yeah that's what I thought. Maybe if you opened up some more lanes, I wouldn't be saying anything."

Mercedes sighed, rubbing a lower side of her stomach, "Calm down, Santana. We're almost at the front of the line."

"I'm just sayin'—they have time to stop and stare at me like I just kicked their dog. I think they'd make time to come open a new lane so that people can get outta here faster."

As Santana ranted on, Mercedes gripped a hand to the cart tightly and squeezed her eyes shut. She sucked a sharp breath only to let it go slowly with her lips forming a tight "o" shape.

"Um…are you okay, Mercedes?" asked Brittany in between licking frosting off her lips.

She nodded, "Yeah..I'm fine. You'd think I'd be used to this by now with all the Braxton Hicks I had last month."

"The who-zee-what's?" mocked Santana.

"Braxton Hicks. They're like false labor pains."

The line moved up and to their fortune, the person in front of them had very few items. Mercedes felt certain that she was experiencing Braxton Hicks again, but spending two hours on her feet, zipping around the mall was starting to make her feet and lower back ache. Also, she worried about not having enough time for the meatloaf dinner she was planning to make before Sam returned. She took out her cell phone to check and see when Sam had called to tell her he was on his way back. It had been a little over an hour ago.

"Hey it only takes a couple hours to get from Columbus to Lima, right?" she asked, looking from Brittany to Santana.

Santana shrugged, "Yeah? Why?"

Mercedes shook her head, "I was just thinking about dinner."

"Ooo you haven't made Trouty eat pickles and ice cream with you, have you?"

Mercedes' face contorted, "No, that's like…the most disgusting craving on the planet. Plus ice cream's not dinner. But I did get him to try pretzels and hot sauce once." With a huge reminiscent grin she added, "He said 'never again' and I laughed but I'm telling you guys, it's so good! So's mac 'n cheese with hot sauce."

Santana shook her head at her and mumbled, "Weirdo", just as the clerk wished the person ahead of them a good day. Mercedes then pushed the cart forward, and quickly paid for the bookcase.

The clerk handed her the receipt and wished her a good day. Before Mercedes could thank her, Santana spoke up and said, "Yeah thank you for being part of the solution and not part of the problem."

Mercedes shook her head at Santana's backhanded compliment and continued on with the shopping cart. On their way out to the parking garage, she slowed her walking pace, then froze. "Ohhh damn." Her voice trembled.

"What?" Santana warily demanded.

Gripping the cart handle, Mercedes looked down at herself and then up at her friends with terrified eyes. "My water just broke."

"No!" insisted Santana.

"_Yes!_" Mercedes argued back.

"No, no, no!"

"Do you wanna see? I feel like I peed on myself!" fussed Mercedes, standing with her legging-clad limbs apart.

Brittany stared at her with wide eyes, "Wow that's super embarrassing, Mercedes."

"Britts, we have to get her to the hospital!" announced Santana. "Stay here with her. I'll go get my car."

Santana took off in a sprint, cussing out every car that screeched to a halt to avoid hitting her along the way.

Another contraction followed shortly after, creeping slowly with the pain until it became enough to make Mercedes double forward and groan. "Unngh, okay…this is not like Braxton Hicks…owww my God!"

As she tried to breathe through the pain, Brittany stood next to her rubbing her back, "Just keep breathing, Mercedes. I've seen Lord Tubbington assist with births for stray cats all the time and this is exactly what it's like so you're doing fine."

Mercedes turned her head to the side so she could look up at Brittany, confused but in too much pain to question her about her cat. A moment later, tires came speeding towards them and squealed to a stop beyond the curb in front of them. Santana leaped out of the driver's seat and rushed to help Mercedes in the car while Brittany quickly emptied the cart of its content.

"Santana we have to go to the house first."

"Are you kidding? We have to get you to the hospital!"

"I know, I know," insisted Mercedes, "But I need my overnight bag, and the car seat. Please! It's really important that I bring those!"

As the contraction pain started to subside, Mercedes got into the back seat of Santana's Hyundai Elantra. Her head fell back against the headrest but she pulled her seatbelt on and took to rubbing her hands soothingly along stomach. After Brittany and Santana were in the car, she asked, "Brittany can you get me my purse? I need to call Sam and my parents, and my doctor."

"Let Britt do it—you're just gonna huff and puff into the phone."

Uninterested in arguing, Mercedes nodded and said, "They're all easy to find in my contacts. Just…call Sam first so he can get here."

Brittany nodded and rifled through her purse until she found her Droid.

* * *

"This is bullshit!" spat Puck.

He lay reclined in the passenger's seat of Sam's Frontier staring irritated at the roof of the truck. They were cruising along on their drive back to Lima, when traffic became backed up a half hour away.

Sam craned his neck to try and see around the semi-truck in front of them. The constant stop-and-go movement was maddening but he tried to keep his cool. "Maybe there's an accident or something."

"There's four lanes! You really think the accident's spread across all four lanes?"

"We're moving a little so no, Stark. I don't."

Puck rolled his eyes, "Right, they're probably forcing us to move along in one lane like a damn funnel. At this rate, we'll be checking into a hotel tonight, just to wait for the road to clear up. Maybe they'll be done by morning!"

Sam was drumming his fingers anxiously along the steering wheel. He didn't want to make this trip to begin with, and it didn't help that the mandatory meeting ended up feeling like a waste of time. Discussing Marvel's green project of using recycled paper for their comic books was something he felt he could have been emailed or Skyped on, but his physical presence was heavily requested, and Mercedes insisted that he go. After Lukas decided not to come on his due date, he felt antsy about leaving town.

The car crept forward a little more, but Sam got tired of being blinded by the semi truck's back end so he flipped on his turn signal and wedged himself into a different lane. With a clearer view, he and Puck were finally able to see the nasty accident that caused the bottleneck in the traffic. It turned out that it was the arrival of a fire truck and ambulance the really created the need for only one lane of traffic.

"How much do you wanna bet half the slowness is from people trying to get a look at what happened?"

"Course it is, Cap! Jesus, I just wish they wouldn't make it seem like it's a group of topless women dancing on the side of the road."

Sam chuckled, "We're getting close though."

"Well hallelujah—call the papers!"

Sure enough, 10 minutes later, they passed by the accident and the traffic slowly cleared up back to normalcy. As Sam reached to turn the radio back up, his phone buzzed in the cup holder in front of his gear shift.

"can you get that, Stark? It's Stormy."

Puck sat up, snatched the phone in his hand and answered, "Hey Mama Munroe. Cap's driving but don't worry, we're—"

"Who's Cap?"

Puck pulled the phone away from his ear, regarding the phone with the deepest confusion. "The fuck?" he muttered.

Sam glanced at him? "What is it?"

Puck shook his head and pressed a button, switching the call to speaker phone. Immediately, Sam's brows furrowed at the vaguely familiar airy voice coming through. "Um…I don't know who any of those people are but could you get Sam?"

Without taking his eyes off the road, Sam turned his head slightl to the right and loudly spoke, "I'm here!"

"Oh good. Wait..how did you beat us to the hospital?"

"The hospital?" Sam and Puck wondered in unison.

"Yeah. I was calling to tell you to meet us at the hospital but somehow you already knew…are you a psychic?"

"Brittany?" asked Sam, his anxiety hiking up. "Why are you going to the hospital?"

"I thought you were psychic…"

"Brittany!"

"Gimme the phone," he heard an unforgettable Santana say, somewhere in the background. Next thing he knew, she was no longer in the background, "Listen, Trouty! Mercedes is in labor—her water broke and we're taking her to the hospital. Wherever you are, you need to bail and get your ass to the hospital because there's no way in hell I'm gonna watch her push this kid out her vag!"

Alarm, excitement, anxiousness and franticness all exploded inside him like a series of fireworks. "I'm already on my way! We're about 15 minutes outside of Lima."

"Good!"

In the background on Santana's end, he heard Mercedes groan in pain, causing him to wince.

"Yeah you hear that?" asked Santana. "You get your ass lips here pronto so she can crush your hand and fuss at you."

"She's mad at me?"

"NO I'M NOT MAD AT HIM!" he heard Mercedes yell, triggering a smile on Sam's face. "QUIT MAKING HIM FEEL BAD, SANTANA AND CALL MY PARENTS!"

Her demand reminded him to call his own parents.

"We'll meet you guys at the hospital," Sam said."

"You best!" Warned Santana before ending the call.

Sam switched his headlights on as the daylight rapidly turned to twilight. He hadn't stopped smiling since the call ended, and only had it fed by Puck who started playfully punching his arm and giggling, "This is it, dude!"

"I know, I know—stop hitting me and call my parents!" demanded Sam, shrugging Puck's fist away.

He couldn't describe the feeling that hit him. It reminded him of the day he'd been told that he was in remission; he never thought that inexplicable level of joy would ever pierce his heart again but it did and he held onto it for the remainder of the drive to the hospital.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! Sorry for any errors! Thanks to amuzed1 on tumblr for the idea of including Santana (and Brittany) for this. Lukas is coming! Lukas is coming! :)**_


	34. Chapter 34

**Mid-June 2012**

By the time Sam and Puck arrived at the hospital, Sam was struggling to keep himself together. He couldn't get to Mercedes fast enough, bouncing up and down at his knees while in the elevator and letting his eyes wander everywhere. He even found himself being short with the security guard who delayed him on his destination by giving him a "Daddy" clip-on badge, and then proceeding to make Puck wait in the waiting room.

"Only 2 visitors at a time, not including the dad," she sternly told him.

"The hell! Who's already in there?"

Sam gave him a remindful elbow, "Mercedes' friends, Santana and Brittany."

"Well go kick one of them out!" demanded Puck.

"Chill! I'll see what I can do but I need to get going so—"

"Yeah go, go," Puck bitterly insisted, pushing him towards the double doors that the guard buzzed unlocked.

"Room 6!" the security guard harked at him.

Sam took off, half-running through the wide corridors with a series of double doors along the way. It was eerily quiet in the halls but when he reached Room 6, all he was hearing was his own loud breaths. He wrung his clammy hands a couple of times, and then ran them down the sides of his jeans a few times before knocking on the door. Seconds later, a nurse cracked the door open but Sam immediately looked over her head and spotted the back of Mercedes' head bent towards Brittany's chest. She'd already been dressed in a blue hospital gown and had her hair pulled back in a high ponytail.

"Can I help you?" asked the nurse.

Sam didn't have the focus to be upset by the snooty tone in the nurse's voice. He simply flashed his "Daddy" badge and she buttoned her mouth and opened the door more to let him in.

"Stormy!" he called out, rushing over to her. When he got close, he saw that Brittany was holding Mercedes' hands and Mercedes actually had her head bent over their hands, grinding her teeth together.

"Stormy?" mocked Santana with a scrunched up face. "Is that what the hell you just called her?"

Sam shot her a look but brought all his attention back to his partially doubled-over girlfriend. Brittany stepped aside so he could take her place; he stood in front of Mercedes and immediately placed his hands in hers and she looked up, straining a smile. "Crazy timing, huh Cap?"

The pain was seen all over her face and felt in the way she was gripping his hands. He kissed her forehead and let go of one hand to brush a couple strands of hair from her face. "Are you okay?"

For the first time since he'd known her and voiced concern over her well-being she shook her head at the ground, "I wish I could say I'm fine but…this hurts like hell."

Her voice started out strong but ended in a whimper just before she gasped and clenched his hands. At first her grip was tolerable but it grew tighter and tighter until he was forming soundless words with his mouth, privately agonizing over the Wonder Woman strength she suddenly obtained.

From the other side of the room he heard a snort and snapped his gaze to Santana, who was covering her amused grin with her fist. Sam's eyes narrowed but Santana waved him off.

"Oh don't mind us—we've already had the life squeezed out of our hands getting her up to this room."

He swallowed back telling her off and instead took a deep breath, trying to avert his attention from the throbbing in his fingers. Using all he had to keep his voice from sounding like a pre-pubescent boy, he told them, "Thanks for bringing her, both of you."

Santana's knowing smirk vanished and then she threw her hands up, "You suck, you know that? I gave you a huge opening to get back at me for the hard time I've given you since the shower, and you go all nice guy high road on me." She rolled her eyes, let out a disappointed sigh and headed for the door. "We'll be in the waiting room."

Sam nodded and Mercedes breathed, "Thanks you guys," loudly enough for Brittany and Santana to hear her.

Brittany blew a kiss to her back with both hands while Santana cast a half smile and waved, following Brittany out.

The nurse who was still lingering around, checking Mercedes' charts and IV bag, popped in and out of the room frequently with the same routine. At one point, she checked things, and then approached them and placed a hand on Mercedes' back. "Mercedes, just a reminder—you'll have to be 5 centimeters dilated before the anesthesiologist can administer the epidural. Now last time we checked you were 3 centimeters along but if you want to try and do a little walking up and down the hall, it might help move things along."

She nodded a few times and slowly stood as upright as she could. The nurse prepared her IV stand and Sam asked the nurse, "I can go with her, right?"

"Yes, Dad you _need_ to go with her."

Sam nodded once to the nurse; already he was sure he wasn't going to like this woman and hoped they weren't going to be stuck with her for the rest of the time. She was rude to him from the get-go and now that she's been informed that he's a father, she spent the hour ordering him around like a drill sergeant. She fussed over Mercedes—which he didn't mind—and then snapped orders for him to wash his hands and to stop running his hands through his hair, which he couldn't help because of how needlessly she was hiking up his pre-existing anxiousness.

When he and Mercedes were finally able to leave the room and start on her walk, he held one of her hands while his free hand reached up to run through his hair again but Mercedes' fingers came over the back of his hand to stop him. He looked down into her warm, brown hues and listened to her ask him, "Are _you_ okay, Captain?"

He chuckled humorlessly, "Me? Oh I'm fine. That nurse just gets on my nerves but…Yeah, don't worry."

"I already am. I think your hair's gonna start falling out if you keep that up and no offense but…I don't think baldness suits you."

"It wouldn't be the first time," he thoughtlessly muttered.

They both stopped in the hallway and when Sam realized what he'd said, he looked at Mercedes again to see that her eyes had almost instantly filled with tears.

"I'm sorry—I..I didn't mean…"

"Mercedes, no wait—don't apologize," he hurriedly said while mentally kicking himself in the ass. "Please don't cry—I shouldn't have said that."

"But it's true and I wasn't even thinking about your cancer when I said that."

He internally flinched at the 'c' word but pushed it away before darker memories could cloud this joyful evening. He gingerly cupped her face in his hands and bent his head to urgently kiss her forehead, nose and lips. 'I made a bad joke and shouldn't have said what I said. I'm sorry, and if I could rewind what just happened, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But please don't cry, Stormy. We're gonna meet our little quirt soon."

She shut her eyes while breathing one soft chuckle from the nickname. Whens he opened her eyes again she faintly smiled, "Okay."

One of her hands came around him to bring him as close as her belly would allow, but she quickly lost all ability to care about how lax their hug was and gently pushed away in search of his hand. Another contraction hit and after sucking in a sharp breath, Mercedes groaned the most agonizing groan he'd ever heard from her. More than the pain shooting up his hand was the agonizing feeling of helplessness. The tears she'd fought a moment ago came back with a vengeance when she cried out, sinking lower at the knees. Sam reacted quick and secured his free hand around her back to keep her standing.

"It's okay, Stormy—you're doing great. It's gonna pass soon."

He almost had no idea where those words came from but they seemed to assuage the situation a fraction for his girlfriend. He rubbed large, slow circles along her back and softly asked, "Do you wanna go back to the room?"

She nodded, keeping her eyes squeezed shut, and slowly waddled beside him once her contraction allowed her to move again. And as they walked, Sam mentally pulverized himself for putting his past in both their minds at a time like this. Now was anything but the time to make stupid mistakes like that—not when their son was on his way to make his entrance to the world.

* * *

Three more hours passed before Mercedes dilated another full centimeter. Santana, Brittany and Puck—and to her surprise—Kurt and Tina all took turns passing around the visitor's badges along with her parents, who had shown up at her room not long after she and Sam returned from her brief walk. She struggled to keep a conversation going with anyone and couldn't find a lasting way to lie in the hospital bed without growing uncomfortable.

Mr. Jones gave Sam's hand some relief from her fierce grip, while Mrs. Jones escorted him to the cafeteria to treat him to a late dinner before visiting hours ended.

"It's okay, Sam. She's not being left alone and you're probably in for a long night," she told him. "Come get some food and then we'll come right back."

While lying on her side, Mercedes cast a tired anguished gaze at her dad. "I'm so scared, Dad."

Mr. Jones let out a low, deep chuckle, "Baby girl, I'd take you for a fool if you weren't."

"I can't believe I'm gonna be a mom."

"You're not just realizing this are you?"

She smiled weakly and shook her head against the pillows, "I just meant…it's getting more and more real for me. Like…when I first found out it was easier not to think about in the way that I do now. Now…I'm worried I won't hold him the right way or that I won't know how to calm him down when he's upset, or what I'll do when I need help and Sam's not home."

Mr. Jones gave her hand a gentle squeeze, "You'll figure it out, just like _aaall_ the new parents before you."

Her tired smile returned and after squeezing his hand back, she blinked sleepily and told him, "I just can't wait to see him. I've been wondering what his little face is gonna look like."

"Easy," her dad said. "He's gonna look handsome like his Grandpa Jones."

Mercedes giggled, "Good to know, Dad."

Her talk with her dad came to an end as another contraction started again, causing her to sit up again with her hand in her dad's. He and Sam both had large hands, but while Sam's hands were slender, Mr. Jones' hands were thick and able to cope with her firm grip.

"Just breathe, Baby Girl," her dad calmly reminded her.

Mercedes nodded, promptly complying with his reminder with a quavering breath. And by the time her body allowed her to relax again, Dr. Brenner entered the room, making her way to the monitors on the right of Mercedes' face.

"Hi, Mercedes. Your nurse is on break, and I know you've been in a lot of pain so I'm gonna check to see if you're far enough along to have the epidural administered so you can try and get some rest too."

She nodded and her dad not-so-subtly turned his back to her lower half, keeping his eyes on her weary face. She'd been focusing on breathing through the brief exam and was relieved to hear her doctor say, "Good news, Mercedes—you're 5 centimeters."

Rolling her eyes shut, she sighed out, "Oh thank Jesus."

Dr. Brenner gave her a small smile and started towards the door, "I'll be back in a moment with the anesthesiologist."

When the door shut again, Mercedes asked her dad, "Can you call mom or Sam to let them know?" Her eyes were still shut; while her body was readying her for Lukas' birth, her eyes were in a struggle to stay open, despite the frequent contractions. The urge to sleep came every time the contractions subsided, but whenever she got close to falling asleep, she was woken up by oncoming pain.

Not long after Dr. Brenner left, did Sam and Mrs. Jones return with sandwiches in their hands. Mr. Jones filled them in on the epidural.

"I tried calling you both but neither of you answered."

His wife crossed the room and handed him a sandwich half, "We were saying goodbye to Kurt, Tina and the others." At the look her daughter gave, she elaborated, "It's late, Baby—visiting hours are almost over. But they said they'll be back in the morning." She then looked back to her husband, "My phone's on silent which is why I missed your call."

"Mine is too. Well, it's on vibrate but I guess I didn't feel it," admitted Sam.

She looked right at him and he returned the gaze with a tired smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"I thought you might get some sleep while we were gone," he told her, setting his sandwich down.

She shook her head, "I can't sleep, but you look like you could use some rest. And I meant to ask you…are your mom and dad coming?"

His brows rose and his head shook as well, "I'm fine, Stormy. Promise. And my mom and dad are coming in the morning with Stevie and Stace. When I called them, they figured they wouldn't get to see us by the time they got here, so they're gonna leave Kentucky early tomorrow." He reached up and cupped a hand over her cheek, rubbing gentle circles on her cheek, and she raised her IV-injected hand to place it over his. A couple of knocks on the door shortly after, brought their attention to Dr. Brenner and the anesthesiologist who followed her in. Mercedes turned her head in Sam's hand and quickly kissed his palm before guiding his hand from her face so she could sit up and prepare for the epidural.

Dr. Brenner asked Mr. and Mrs. Jones to wait in the lobby, reducing up the number of people looming around Mercedes.

"We're actually gonna head home," said Mrs. Jones. "Visiting hours are just about over, but I promise we'll come right back as soon as possible."

Mercedes nodded and Mrs. Jones placed a hand on Sam's shoulder, "Call us if anything changes."

Sam nodded and Mercedes' parents hugged and kissed her goodbye. After being instructed to sit up so that her legs hung over one side of the bed, she reached for both of Sam's hands and held firmly to hide the trembles in her fingers.

Sam was sitting directly in front of her, listening to the physicians talk through the steps of administering the epidural; however, his eyes were on Mercedes'. She was staring at the floor with a grim look on her face and when she squeezed her eyes shut, he circled his thumbs along her hands which provided a nice distraction until she felt the piercing in her spine.

"Just breathe through it, Mercedes," spoke Dr. Brenner.

"Okay," she whimpered, biting down on her lip. Her body went as still as possible as they worked to thread the catheter in her lower back.

She felt Sam give her hands a gentle squeeze, followed by him whispering, "You're not breathing, Baby. Look at me, Stormy."

As much as she didn't want to stop squeezing her eyes shut, she cracked both eyes open and saw Sam emote deep breaths in and silently let them out. She couldn't help mocking his actions, but her breaths left her mouth more noisily than his.

Dr. Brenner told her, "Almost done, Mercedes."

Sam kept taking deep breaths with her and she copied him until Dr. Brenner told them that they were finished. The anesthesiologist picked up what he had left; as he made his leave, he said, "Give It about 10 to 20 minutes and you should start feeling it. If you need to get out of bed to go to the bathroom or anything like that, make sure your doctor or nurse are here to help you."

"Or Sam," added Dr. Brenner.

Mercedes nodded and welcomed Sam's help as he and Dr. Brenner helped her to comfortably lie back in the bed. She continued to take deep breaths to try and relax as another contraction started. But by the time she and Sam were left alone, she felt her lower half begin to tingle and then numb.

* * *

Another two hours passed by; an hour after the doctors gave Mercedes the epidural, she was fast asleep lying on her side and facing Sam. Though he'd told Mercedes that he was fine earlier, his body was definitely craving sleep, but he was thinking too much about Lukas' arrival, as well as everything she had been withstanding for him to sleep. Instead, he took to watching her beautiful, peaceful face rest.

"You're incredible, Stormy," he spoke just above a whisper. His long, slender fingers stroked her smooth forearm as it lay over her belly. "You're doing great, and…I know you've been in a lot of pain tonight but…we're almost there. Lukas is almost here, so hang in there."

He leaned forward and pressed a very gentle kiss to her forehead. When he sat back again he whispered, "I love you, Mercedes," and then placed his hand back in hers.

Despite what he wanted, his eyes and head were beginning to droop. The clock on the wall read that it was a little after 2 in the morning, and below that in smaller red digital numbers, it displayed the date. Ever since arriving at the hospital, he hadn't thought once about the date until now: Father's Day. His son was coming on Father's Day.

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled, repeating the realization in his mind. He almost wanted to wake Mercedes to tell her but he quickly thought better of it; out of the two of them, she was needing rest the most, and she was never kind when her sleep was disturbed—labor or not. Before he knew it, he'd lost his battle to sleep with his head lying next to Mercedes'.

When he woke up again, he heard Mercedes' incessant peals of giggles. He lifted his head, rubbing his eyes and stretched the kinks out of his neck.

"Sammy!"

"Good morning sleepy head."

His gaze instantly went to the other side of Mercedes' bed in time to see his sister hop off the edge and run around the front to meet him. Along with Stacy, Mary Evans was also in the room, smiling at her once sleeping son. He stifled a yawn and hugged his sister, pulling her into his lap.

"Hiii Stace."

"Sammy your breath stinks."

Mercedes covered her mouth but Sam still heard her giggle. He turned bright red and moved her off her lap so he could leave his chair. With a hand over his mouth he muttered, "Hi, Mom. 'Scuse me."

Just before reaching the bathroom he skidded to a halt and turned back around, eyes on Mercedes. "We forgot the overnight bag."

She shook her head and pointed to the corner on her left. "No we didn't. I had Santana take me home before we came to the hospital."

He hurried to it, pulled out a few toiletry items and his packed change of clothes disappeared into the bathroom. After a couple splashes of water on his face, sawing his travel toothbrush through his mouth and throwing on his Darth Vader shirt and a fresh pair of jeans, Sam rejoined the three most important women in his life.

"Sorry about that," he mumbled, moving to hug his mom. "When'd you guys get here? And how long was I out?"

"We got here about an hour ago," said Mrs. Evans.

"And you've been asleep for a while," added Mercedes.

Sam combed his fingers through his hair, grimacing at her, "Man, I'm sorry Stormy. How are you feeling?"

Mercedes shook her head at him, smiling, "I'm fine. The epidural's working wonders with my contractions. And you don't have to apologize for getting some sleep. I knew you were tired earlier but it's a good thing you're up now. That shirt looks really good on you, by the way."

"Oh yeah?" he smiled crookedly, sitting on the edge of her bed to get closer to her level for a quick morning peck on her nose.

"Mmmhm," she replied. "And guess what? Last time the nurse came in to check on me I was 9 centimeters."

His eyes bugged, "What? Seriously?"

"Yep!" she grinned. "I was gonna wake you up and tell you but I figured you could use the sleep."

Sam chuckled once, "Yeah, thanks. Did you get much sleep?"

She shrugged, "On and off. I started feeling like I had to push though and it hasn't fully gone away. Then the nurse came in and told me I was close, so she or Dr. Brenner will probably be back soon to check on me again but…" her smile grew, "he's gonna be here soon!"

Her excitement was a soft whisper but its magnitude was anything but.

"So can I be Aunt Stacy?" asked his sister, coming back to him again.

"Yeah if that's what you want him to call you when he starts talking." He playfully tugged on the end of her ponytail. "Aunt Stacy and Uncle Stevie." He looked up at his mom. "Speaking of—where's the uncle-to-be at?"

Mrs. Evans smiled, "He and your dad are out in the waiting room. They were in here saying hi to Mercedes earlier while you slept."

Sam nodded but everyone looked to the door as two knocks were heard, followed by Dr. Brenner and her nurse's entrance.

"Nice to see you awake, Sam," said Dr. Brenner, causing Sam to faintly blush. "Good morning again, Mercedes."

"Good morning Dr. Brenner," she answered with a smile and then proceeded to introduce Sam's mom and sister.

Dr. Brenner greeted them with her usual nod and then sat down in between the stirrups where Mercedes' heels were rested.

Shifting slightly on the bed, Sam looked up at his mom, "Um…mom, can you and Stace…"

His sentence trailed off until his mom caught on to what he was implying, "Oh! Oh, yes we'll um…we'll just go wait in the waiting room with Stevie and your father." She smiled at Mercedes and touched a hand to her cheek, "I'll bet your parents are here now too, so…we'll all see you and Lukas soon, hopefully!"

Sam grinned. His mom was on the verge of squealing and he knew it. She and Stacy gave him one more tight hug and then shuffled out of the room beaming smiles the entire time.

"Well good news, Mercedes. Sam," said Dr. Brenner. "It's time to bring this little guy into the world, and Sam I want you to help."

Sam jumped inside his skin, "Me?"

"Yes you, Dad. I want you to hold her left leg; lift her heel out of the stirrup and push it gently back towards her chest."

Sam did as instructed and as Dr. Brenner started to talk Mercedes through pushing through her next contraction. Sam was watching Mercedes cast a determined look on his face, but his gaze started to slowly veer how her body as Dr. Brenner told her to push.

Almost instantly, Sam paled. He knew what was coming; he'd seen one too many live birth videos in school and back then he'd just look away or chuckle at the jokes his friends made. This time, however, he couldn't look away and he couldn't stop the blood from fleeing his knees.

Mercedes groaned, bearing her teeth. Meanwhile Sam was trying to bring his eyes back to her face but he couldn't.

"Hey Dad! You okay? You look a little pale over there," said the nurse.

Sam's mouth moved but no sound came out. The next thing he knew, Mercedes' fingers were squeezing his chin with her superhuman strength and pulling his face in her direction.

"Sam Evans don't you dare pass out on me!" she half ordered, half whimpered.

He nodded as much as her grip would allow and when she let go of his chin, her hand found his and held it tightly.

"Your girlfriend's got a pretty face," said the nurse. "Look at her face, Dad."

Sam nodded again and mimicked Mercedes' stern face. His brain couldn't remember half the things they learned in the Lamaze or parenting classes, but he kept hearing Dr. Brenner count off for Mercedes; with the chanting of each number, Sam was nodding his head and every time she reached 10, Mercedes let out a breath she'd been holding and so did he.

"I can't do this," Sam heard Mercedes cry. It was enough to snap him out of the mechanical stupor he'd sucked himself into.

"Come on Mercedes, one more push and then you're done," coached Dr. Brenner.

She shook her head, "I can't. I can't do it!"

"Yes you can," said Sam. He looked right into her terrified, exhausted, tearful eyes and told her, "You're almost done. Come on, Stormy—just give one more and then he'll be here. You're almost done, Baby. You _can_ do this."

Mercedes nodded sadly and dipped her chin to her chest for one final push. A moment later, the delivery room filled with quick, loud cries. Sam froze with his mouth agape and finally stomached the ability to look in Dr. Brenner's direction again. She was wiping the excess off of a tiny, crying baby boy with plump, pink, quivering lips, wisps of honey brown hair, and a pair of dark pink hands balled up into fists.

"10:27," called out the nurse.

Dr. Brenner set the newborn safely on Mercedes' stomach and continued to tend to Mercedes while the nurse finished cleaning him. "Sounds like you two have a healthy boy here. All 10 fingers and toes are here."

"Oh my God," Mercedes breathed with her head falling back on the pillows.

"Good job, Mercedes," Dr. Brenner called out from behind her surgical mask.

Sam looked back up at his girlfriend and swallowed thickly. He licked his dry lips but a smile immediately broke out on his face, "You did it, Stormy." He leaned down and kissed Mercedes hard on the forehead and twice on the lips before bringing his gaze anxiously back to their new son.

The nurse placed a pale blue cap on his head as his cries started to diminish into coos. He'd kept his eyes squeezed shut but his face was turned in Sam's direction. Sam couldn't take his eyes off him; just as he'd predicted, months ago, Lukas had inherited Mercedes' button nose. One of his chubby cheeks was squished against Mercedes' belly while the other one donned a rosy red blush. His full pair of lips continued to tremble and his fists remained tight.

Enamored wasn't a strong enough word for how Sam was. His heart was pounding with more joyful emotions than he ever thought possible to possess at one time. He blinked away the forming tears and quickly pinched two fingers at the corners of his eyes to keep them from going anywhere.

"You can put Mercedes' leg back in the stirrup now, Sam. Do you want to cut the cord?" asked Dr. Brenner.

Still fixated on Lukas, Sam nodded and carefully rested her leg for her again. He felt Mercedes brush a hand down his arm and when her fingers came over his, he gave her hand a quick squeeze and then stepped once towards Dr. Brenner. With a conscious effort not to make himself want to pass out again, he did his best to keep his eyes on Dr. Brenner's face and listen as she handed him the medical scissors and instructed him on where to cut. With a nod and a mumble of "Okay," Sam looked back to Lukas and watched the nurse turn him on his back and point to a spot on the umbilical cord, just above a yellow clamp. Surprised by the steadiness of his hand, he made three snips and liberated his son.

"Good job Dad," said the nurse before picking Lukas up to expertly swaddle him.

"Can I hold him?" Mercedes softly asked, reaching a hand out towards the nurse. From her voice alone, Sam could tell that she was exhausted, but she looked unbelievably happy at the same time. He wanted the nurse to say 'yes'—for her. She'd been through so much, not just today but in the last 9 months, that all he wanted for her now was for her to have something _she _wanted for herself and no one else. And right now, he knew she wanted their son.

"Of course," answered the nurse. She came around to the other side of Mercedes' bed and held out Lukas while cautioning her to support his head. Sam wanted to tell the nurse, "_She knows what she's doing_," but he bit his tongue; that woman was not going to spoil this moment.

Sure enough, he'd been right though. Mercedes looked like a natural with the way she held Lukas in her arms. She smiled her contagious smile at him and softly crooned, "Hi, Son," in the kindest voice. "You put your Mommy in a world of hurt but you know what? It's all worth it 'cause you're finally here. You're here, and Daddy's here, and I'm here."

She lightly rocked him from side to side in her arms and bent her head to give his nose the lightest of kisses. Lukas gurgled a small coo back at her, causing Mercedes and Sam to smile more than they already had been.

"Do you wanna hold him, Babe?" Mercedes asked, looking up into Sam's green eyes.

Sam froze nervously, though his heart kept on pounding in his chest. The second she asked him, he didn't quite trust himself to hold him. Even with the blanket wrapped around him, Lukas looked a lot smaller than any of the dolls he'd practiced with in parenting classes, not to mention if he dropped him, there wouldn't be any "oops" responses. He shook his head, "It's okay."

Mercedes tilted her head and pursed her lips at him. "You'll be fine, Captain. You _can _do this."

He clenched his jaw nervously and then slowly found himself forming his hands and arms in the position to cradle his son. Mercedes lifted him with both hands supporting his head and butt, and set him gently into Sam's arms.

Right away, Sam's first voiced thought was, "He's so light," to which Mercedes smiled. The next thing he realized was that, even through the swaddled blanket, his hands could feel right where Lukas' folded arms and balled up hands were. "Hey, Squirt," whispered Sam in an attempt to fight back more forming tears. "Lukas…Luke, I'm your father..."

He kept Lukas close to his chest while watching every breath he took, every movement his lips made, and every slight turn his head made. In that moment, he thought back to two years ago when Abby was born. Sam had still been in the hospital recovering from his surgery that day. His mind was groggy from all the anesthetics but when Puck came into his hospital room, grinning from ear to ear, Sam knew right away that his best friend's kid had been born.

"_It's a girl, Cap! Can you believe that?"_

"_Yeah…'course I can, now pay up." _

_Puck rolled his eyes, "I'll pay up when you get your ass better and out of this room." A moment later he reigned in his excitement and spoke in a serious tone, "How are you feeling today, dude?"_

_Sam raised a hand to give him a thumbs up, "I'm getting there. How about you? What are you guys gonna name her?"_

"_Well…Lauren said she'd murder me if I wrote Raven Mystique Puckerman on the birth certificate, and since she's still doped up on crazy birthing mom strength, we're going to go with Abigail—Abby for short."_

_Sam chuckled tiredly, "I like it. Abby what?"_

"_Abby Jean. I got her to compromise on the Jean part."_

"_So how's it feel?"_

_Puck's brows furrowed. "What?"_

"_How's it feel to be a dad?"_

_With a smile that Sam thought he'd probably never forget, Puck told him, "No lies? It's the best feeling in the world—I can't even describe it to you. But trust me, when you're a dad, you'll know what I'm talking about."_

Yes, this had to be _exactly_ what Puck was talking about.

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_**Please leave reviews! Sorry this took me longer to post than planned; some family stuff came up. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Lukas' entrance to the world! More is coming!**_


	35. Chapter 35

_**A/N: This was just a little quickie chapter to give you all a little more of Father's Day/Lukas's birth day in Mercedes' POV at the hospital since I didn't give you much of that in the previous chapter. Enjoy!**_

**Mid-June 2012**

Initially she'd been too tired to sleep—first with Lukas' arrival still setting in, and then the parade of family and friends who came throughout the morning and early afternoon to see him, her and Sam. When Puck, Lauren and Abby came into the room, she could have sworn she heard Sam scratching his itch to use his Darth Vader impression on Lukas while Puck was holding him; when she called Sam on it, he lied horrendously but she merely rolled her eyes and shook her head, muttering, "Dork," under her breath.

All four new grandparents gushed in their own ways over Lukas' arrival. Both Mr. Jones and Mr. Evans talked about all the girls' hearts Lukas was gonna break when he got older, and all the sporting events and fishing trips they were going to take. Mercedes was amused at how similar her dad and Sam's dad's talks with Lukas ended up being, even though they hadn't been in the room at the same time. Her mom and Mrs. Evans had taken pictures of every single thing Lukas did. Mercedes' brother, Trent had been home for the summer and was allowed to come in the room with Stevie and Stacy. Trent promised Lukas he'd teach him how to talk to the ladies once he was old enough to talk, only to have Stevie turn around and make promises to teach Lukas how to _not_ like girls. Stacy spent most of her time chatting away with Mercedes and Sam.

Eventually, she, Sam and Lukas were given a break from all their visitors and Mercedes utilized the time to shower and put on some regular clothes. She lay back in the bed however, and Sam placed Lukas back in her arms and sat back down, fiddling with the room's TV remote. While Mercedes held Lukas, she saw him finally open his eyes and keep them open. He wasn't looking at anything in particular but his irises were a milky green color. Mercedes smiled at him and softly called to Sam.

"Come look," she said.

Sam stood from the chair near their bags and stood beside her bed. His pre-existing smile grew, and while Mercedes made a slight adjustment to his cap, she said, "I know the doctor said he can't really see yet, but…he's gonna have your eyes."

"He's a good mix of us," said Sam.

"Mhm. He's just…perfect. I don't say that about most things but, look at him." She fell speechless and just shook her head, gazing in wonder at their son. A moment later she felt Sam's full set of lips press to her forehead.

She closed her eyes at the feeling of the kiss and when she opened them again she heard Sam murmur, "Best, Father's Day, ever."

"Without a doubt," she replied, smiling up at him. Her fingers reached up to gently tug on the collar of his shirt until his lips pressed to hers. "And speaking of, I know you opened most of your gifts here, but there's one more for you at the house."

"Really?" asked Sam, smiling brightly again. "What is it?"

"Psh, you know me better than that, Cap. I'm not telling."

Sam's face scrunched up with anxiousness but his features quickly smoothed out as he stepped away from the bed.

Mercedes' eyes followed him to the door, "Where are you going?"

"To find out when we can go home."

Mercedes softly laughed and shook her head; she made a mental note to not hint at surprises for Sam unless she was prepared for his silly five year-old reaction.

Not long after he left, however, Sam returned with Dr. Brenner not far behind. She had a small stack of papers in her hands and asked Mercedes how she was feeling; if she'd walked off the last bit of numbness from the epidural, and if she feels comfortable with breastfeeding now. After giving all the right and truthful answers, Dr. Brenner showed them the birthday certificate and asked her and Sam to confirm all the information and to sign it if it was correct. Beside a gold seal read:

**Certificate of Birth**

_This certifies that_ **Lukas Blake Evans**, **Male**, _was born to_ **Mercedes Nichelle Jones** _and_ **Samuel Blake Evans **_on_ **Sunday** _at _**1027** _hours, this_ **17****th** _day of_ **June**, **2012** _at_ **Lima General Hospital**.

_Weight and length:_** 7 pounds, 4 ounces. 17 inches**

_Signature of Mother:_ **Mercedes Nichelle Jones**

_Signature of Father:_ **Samuel Blake Evans**

Once their signatures were inked above their printed names, Dr. Brenner started hinting towards giving them the "OK" to go home today. Mercedes was attentive to the scheduling of Lukas' first check-up and her postnatal appointment, but out of the corner of her eye she saw Sam packing up their bags and gifts from their family and friends. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him and fought the smile tugging at her lips. Before discharging them, however, Dr. Brenner left Mercedes and Sam with a few reminders.

"Mercedes, remember when Lukas sleeps, you sleep. If you try to stay up through all of his naps, you're going to wear yourself out. Sam, you can help with this and if you're able to do the same then you should. When changing diapers, always keep him thoroughly clean but be sensitive around the penis; he's going to be tender there for a few days due to the circumcision. Also, Mercedes, continue with your diet for the sake of breastfeeding. Whatever you'd been eating while pregnant, do your best not to venture away from it in these early stages. Did you two have any questions for me?"

Sam shook his head, beaming a euphoric smile as he held the overnight bag, the gift bags and the car seat. Mercedes on the other hand, chewed on a question that brought Sam's anxiousness to an obvious halt.

"Um…Dr. Brenner how long should Sam and I…" her sentence trailed off. She felt her face grow hot, and already she was wishing she hadn't started asking this. To her slight gratitude Dr. Brenner picked up on what she was implying, but it didn't stop Mercedes from feeling like they might think she was itching to jump Sam's bones.

"You should refrain from sexual activity for a minimum of 6 weeks, _and_ after your postnatal appointment."

With her lips tucked in her mouth, she nodded. Dr. Brenner checked once more to see if they had anymore questions and when Mercedes and Sam both silently shook their heads, she excused herself to get a wheelchair for Mercedes to leave in. When they were alone again, Mercedes was intent on keeping her gaze on Lukas, in spite of Sam's eyes bearing into the side of her face.

"Is that something you're ready for?" he asked.

"I just wanted to know," she whispered back.

She heard him set a few things down and then sit on the edge of her bed, forcing her to at least acknowledge his physical presence. He didn't say anymore to her but Mercedes could tell he was waiting for her to say something more. After a very deep breath she obliged.

"I've been wanting that with you for a while but…I told you before that it wasn't something I wanted to do while I was so pregnant." She held up a hand to stop him from interrupting her and said, "I know you said it didn't matter to you and you thought I was beautiful regardless—it really meant a lot to me to hear you say that but…I just…when I do…" she was struggling so she took another deep breath and shook her head. "What I'm trying to say is I do want my first time to be with you but…when that does happen, I want to be able to make you happy too, I guess." She shook her head again and nervously chuckled, "I don't even know why I brought it up in front of Dr. Brenner. It's not something I was really thinking that much about today. I mean today's about Lukas—not us tangoing in the bed.

Sam chuckled at that and said, "I'm glad you felt okay enough to tell me all this though, Stormy and I'll bet Dr. Brenner gets questions like that all the time. But I'm sure we're going to have our hands plenty full now that this little guy's here."

She watched Sam run the back of a few of his fingers down Lukas' chubby cheeks, causing Lukas' lips to twitch in a short-lasting smile. Sam then looked back to Mercedes and she returned the gaze, "After we're given the green light, and the time's right, we'll figure it out, okay?"

Mercedes smiled softly at him and half-teasingly told him, "You have the patience of a saint, you know that? Well, except when it comes to presents."

Again Sam laughed, "I think that'd still qualify as a present. It just happens to be for both of us."

"Oh so that's the trick? If the present benefits both of us then you're more patient?" she grinned.

"You gave me an assurance policy, Baby. You just told me you wanted me to be your first—not that I was thinking before that we were going to our separate ways or anything since I love you too much to let that happen, but you actually said it to me. So yes, I can wait until you're ready."

Mercedes blushed, lowering a bashful gaze to Lukas, who had fallen asleep again. "Well I love you too, and now that Lukas is here, it's different…not in a bad way—in a really good way but...I don't know how to explain it. Maybe that's why I asked Dr. Brenner about the sex…is that odd?"

Sam shook his head, "Nope. Not to me. It's honest, which is very…you, Stormy."

A moment later, there were knocks at the door again and Dr. Brenner returned with a nurse and a wheelchair. "Ready to go home?"

Mercedes looked up at Sam and he looked down at her before telling Dr. Brenner, "We're ready."

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_**Please leave reviews! More is coming soon! I'm hoping to update "Three's Company" and "The Joe Evans Adventure" before I work on the next chapter for this fic, but hang in there with me folks! I promise some wonderful family!Samcedes moments in the next couple chapters.**_


	36. Chapter 36

**June 2012**

"And this is the kitchen. You probably won't be in here much unless your mommy or I bring you in here with us. It'll probably mostly be me bringing you in here so we can both spy on Mommy when she starts making us yummy dinners again."

Sam cradled Lukas to his chest with one arm as he left the kitchen with a glass of ice water in the other hand. "And these are the stairs. You're not gonna get to know these until you start walking, Squirt, but until then, Mommy and I will take care of 'em for you….and here's mine, Mommy, and Uncle Puck's office. Sometimes Uncle Finn's here too but I'll show you this room some more tomorrow….you've already seen your room…aand here's mine and Mommy's room again. You'll get familiar with all the rooms pretty soon though."

He looked up with a smile, seeing Mercedes sitting up on her half with her hands sitting in her lap on top of the blankets. It was their third day being home from the hospital and though they'd put Lukas' crib to use during the day, Sam set up his pack 'n play for him to sleep in at night so that he and Mercedes had less of a distance to travel when he woke up in the middle of the night.

"Thank you, Cap," Mercedes said upon receiving the glass of water. She took a long sip and then set the glass down on the nightstand nearest to her.

Meanwhile, Sam gently bounced Lukas in his arms while saying, "Sometimes it's still so crazy to me that he's finally here. Y'know?"

"Mhm I know exactly what you mean. But I just…I can't get over how tiny he is."

"He's a little guy, but don't worry, Luke. You'll grow like crazy and then Mommy's gonna wonder how you got so big so fast—watch."

"Oh hush," smiled Mercedes. "You'll go through some midlife crisis if he ends up being taller than you."

Sam chuckled, "Not if he got your genes in that department, Shorty."

He looked up in time to see Mercedes stick her tongue out at him. "You're lucky you're holding Lukas—otherwise I'd chuck all these pillows at you."

Sam bent his grinning lips close to Lukas' face and mumbled, "Nice save, Squirt."

Mercedes giggled, "You're such a dork!"

At that, Sam just grinned and shrugged, "You love it. And hey, Stormy, you're supposed to be trying to sleep when he sleeps."

Right away, Mercedes lips battled a grimace and a smile, "I know and I did try, but it's hard to sleep when I want to watch him sleep."

Sam smiled softly, "I know but Dr. Brenner said you'll wear yourself out if you try to stay up all the time.

Both of them looked to Lukas when he made two hesitant gurgles, and then promptly stretched his tiny lips into a small oval, only to shut them right away and complete his yawn. Sam smiled right away. "I love when he does that."

"Me too," replied Mercedes. "His mouth's so tiny—it's just…ugh, he's too cute."

Not long after his yawn however, Lukas started to make gentle fussing noises, and as Sam tried to loosen his swaddle to check on his diaper, Lukas' tiny light brown hands appeared from beneath the blankets, fists clenched with the exception of his thumbs which were poised to be sucked.

"Cap, where are his mittens?"

Still trying to check the possible reason for Lukas' tears, Sam replied, "I took 'em off—he hates them."

Mercedes lowered her head in one hand and then immediately raised it, "He needs to wear them, Babe. They keep him from scratching himself in the face." After flipping back the covers and slowly getting out of the bed—a tender soreness still lingering between her legs—she stood and started towards the bedroom door. "He probably hates having his arms swaddled more than anything," she argued. "Just leave his arms out of the blanket 'til I get his mittens."

"Okay," replied Sam. "And his diaper's dry by the way."

"Mmkay, I'll try feeding him in a sec."

When she left the room, Sam turned his attention back to Lukas and quietly whispered, "Dude I told you, you had to keep your hands inside the vehicle at all times or else your Mommy was gonna fuss at me.

Lukas merely shifted his head, settling it more comfortably against his daddy's arm while he cooed. Finally he opened his eyes and blinked slowly up in Sam's direction. Sam's lips broke out in a smile; out of his peripheral vision he saw Mercedes returning from the nursery and muttered to his son, "You're gonna have to work with me if you wanna get away with stuff, Squirt. Capiche?"

"Get away with what?" asked Mercedes.

Sam froze and then slowly looked up his girlfriend. Mercedes gave him an expected brow arch, to which Sam cast her a crooked smile. "Hey look, you found his mittens."

"Were they supposed to be lost?" she asked, raising her other brow.

"Um…I don't think so—they were on his dresser right?"

Mercedes nodded slowly, "Yeeahh?"

"Good, good. And I think you were right earlier about him being hungry."

While Lukas' coos grew to short cries, Sam bounced him lightly in his arms while Mercedes slipped the mittens back over his hands. He watched her hands work with expert quickness, and smiled softly.

Mercedes caught it and mocked his smile, "What?"

Sam slowly shrugged and shook his head, "Nothing. Just admiring you."

Her lips spread a bit and she chuckled, "The way I put on baby mitts is admirable?"

"Maybe," he retorted. When she looked up at him, he simply grinned and changed the subject, asking, "Wanna get settled and I can hand him to you?"

Mercedes nodded and Sam followed her from their bedroom to the nursery. He knew she'd quickly grown fond of the glider as a place to nurse Lukas; a few times he asked her if she wanted it moved into their bedroom but Mercedes turned down the offer, telling him each time that it was just fine in Lukas' room. She sat down and while she slipped a hand up her shirt to adjust her bra, Sam walked around the room, giving Lukas' bottom gentle pats. He started to softly sing a favorite song of his to Lukas in the softest voice:

"_On a sweet Sunday morning,  
14 years ago, I was only 15—now I'm reminiscing.  
I broke into a million pieces—each piece a thousand creases;  
a memory of my heart, looking up at the stars. '  
Cause I, I wanted to fly like Superman does  
and feel tremendous.  
'Cause I, I wanted to fly like Superman does  
and feel tremendous_."

He looked up from Lukas' calming face to Mercedes and quietly asked, "Are you ready for him?"

She nodded and held her arms out while asking, "Keep singing that song though. I've never heard it before. It sounds really beautiful but really sad too."

Sam smiled at the floor after handing Lukas over. "Alright…hang on a sec." He turned on his heels and quickly left the room, only to return with one of his acoustic guitars strapped over his shoulder. He gently strummed a chord and took a seat on the floor with his back against the sleigh crib and softly sang the rest of the song, all the while aware of Mercedes' eyes on him.

"_On a sweet Sunday morning,  
14 seconds ago I was only in mourning  
from my 15 minutes of fame.  
I broke into a million pieces—each piece a thousand creases;  
a memory of my heart, now I'm lookin' at the stars.  
'Cause I, I wanted to flyyy like Superman does  
and feel tremendous.  
'Cause I, I wanted to flyyyy like Superman does  
and feel tremendous.  
'Cause what goes up must come down,  
and what's coming down's, coming down fast—  
I think you fell on my heart  
'cause what goes up must come down  
and what's comin' down's coming down fast—  
flew with the stars…flew in the starrrrrrrrrs...  
I broke into a million pieces, each piece into a thousand crease;  
a memory in my heart when I look at the stars,  
'cause I, I wanted to fly like Superman does,  
and feel tremendous.  
'Cause I, I wanted to fly like Superman does  
and feel tremendous.  
On a sweet Sunday morrrnnniiiinggg_…"

He strummed one final chord and by the time he finished, he sat up a bit taller to see that Lukas had fallen asleep with his tiny, plump lips slightly parted from suckling. His short, dark lashes lay high above his plump, mocha and rose-colored cheeks, and his mitten covered hands were both huddled right below his round chin. Sam folded his arms across the body of his guitar and continued watching him sleep peacefully in Mercedes' arms until she quietly spoke up.

"Where's that song from?"

His green eyes went to her face and he faintly smiled. "It's a song I learned back in high school. Um…remember how I told you not long after my family moved up here, my dad lost his job and we lost our home?"

Mercedes nodded and he went on, "Well…it was just a really, really rough time, and at the time Quinn and I were going to the same church. She invited me to youth group a couple times and the youth pastor…I don't think he knew everything that was going on with my family and me but he knew something was up, so he gave me this CD—a guy named Moi. He told me there was a track on there called 'Superman' that Moi wrote about his own escape and dealing with issues his family had. Like…his escape was imagining that he could be like Superman. I dunno—it just always stuck with me, especially after I actually listened to the song. I mean," Sam chuckled softly, staring at nothing in particular now, "I listened to it so much that I managed to learn the melody on guitar, and…well it's become one of my favorite songs of all time. I could relate to how he needed somewhere to escape from the problems around him by wanting to be like Superman."

He looked up at Mercedes and smiled a little, finishing with a casual shrug. But her eyes were fixed on his face with a sad smile on her lips. He had a guess as to what question lay behind her eyes, but hadn't left her mouth. Willing to eventually oblige with an answer, Sam slipped his guitar off and propped the neck against the crib, and then walked on his knees so that he stood in front of his girlfriend and son. With both hands on either arm rest, Sam leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss on Lukas' forehead, and then raised his head to give Mercedes and equally tender kiss on her lips. When he pulled away, he raised one hand to tuck a few strands of hair behind her ear and let his fingertips linger along the side of her soft, smooth face. She, in return, turned her head a fraction and pressed her lips to the heart of his palm, much like she'd done the other night in the hospital.

"I sang the song to Lukas," Sam started, deciding to answer in his own time, "So that if he ever needed to feel like Superman for any reason, he'd have something to comfort him like I did."

Mercedes nodded, fixing her chocolate irises on his face again. "I pray our family won't give him a reason to need that, but…I'm glad you're giving him something special to keep in mind, just in case."

Sam moved his hands off the glider and sat on his knees so she could resume her gentle rocking. They both watched Lukas sleep a bit longer and then Mercedes stood up to place him inside his crib. After adjusting his blankets slightly, turning on his monitor and winding up the small classic music box on his dresser, she returned to the crib long enough to give his cheek an endearing stroke, and then faced Sam. He was gazing at her already, and when she reached for his hand, he watched their fingers intertwine and followed her out of the room.

"Where are we going?" he whispered when Mercedes passé through the threshold.

"We're supposed to rest when he does, right?"

"Uh-huh?"

"So we're gonna take a nap," she replied.

Their fingers parted long enough for the both of them to lie comfortably in bed, but as soon as Sam spooned to Mercedes, his fingers found hers once again and he let out a content sigh, nuzzling his nose into the back of her strawberry-scented head.

"Captain?" she murmured.

Sam raised his head slightly and caught a peek of Mercedes' closed eyes. "Yeah?" he quietly replied.

She gave his fingers a gentle squeeze before sleepily telling him, "You're a great dadday. I love watching you two."

He smiled softly against her head, "Thanks, Stormy." He held her a little tighter, though his embrace remained gentle. As he lay there, listening to her breaths fall to slow, evenness, Sam thought about how fortunate he became to have such an amazing, strong and loving woman in his life. Not just for him, but for his son as well; she was patient, tender, and gave so much love that it made Sam want to be an even better dad than he thought he could be before. He thought about what she said to him in the nursery, about not wanting Lukas to go through hardships like he had. With his eyes shut, he said a quick, quiet prayer for the same desire, and when he finished he found himself quietly humming "Superman" until he too had fallen asleep.

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_**Please leave reviews! Song lyrics are from "Superman" by Moi Navarro. If you've never heard the song, check out the music video on Youtube! He's also sung the song (and others of his) in Spanish and oh-my-lanta…swoon. Haha. Not to sound like I'm trying to give his career a major promo/boost via my fanfic, but I have heard him live before and briefly spoke to him. He's a talented singer and a very humble man, and the song felt very fitting to help me tie in Sam's former homelessness into the fic. Hope you enjoyed it! Sorry for the slow updates. Between the Olympics, voting on portrait, work, Skype hilarity with Gina, & my other fics, I've been insanely distracted. Going to try to buckle down over the next few days. More is coming! I know many of you are anticipating a couple more things before this fic comes to an end. I haven't forgotten about them and they will happen before I bring Miracle Baby to a conclusion.**_


	37. Chapter 37

**July 2012**

Mercedes pulled up in front of the Cohen-Chang residence just as Tina came flouncing out of the front door in one of her patterned mod dresses. She smiled at her incredibly bright smiles Tina was wearing but cast her a slightly confused look when Tina reached the passenger door and morphed her expression to a crestfallen one.

"Hey…what's wrong?" Mercedes asked once Tina opened the door and sat down."

Pouting, Tina answered, "You didn't bring Lukas?"

Right away, Mercedes' worry vanished and she softly chuckled, "Nooo? He's spending the day with his daddy while you and I have some girl time! But if you really wanna see him we can go by the house before I bring you back home."

"You promise?"

Mercedes grinned, "Yesss I promise, Tina—right after we're done I'll bring you by so you can see him. It's not like Sam and I are hiding him."

Tina squirmed in the passenger's seat of Mercedes' Equinox like she was going to explode with joy, "I know, I know but…none of us wanted to bug you and Sam too much with our visits so we've been trying to be good about that. Well…me, Mike, Kurt and Blaine have; I can't speak for Santana since you know she only follows her own rules."

"True that. But I really think she's nervous or something about being near Lukas."

"Wait…what?"

Mercedes nodded while turning into the parking lot of the Lima Mall and searching for a vacant stall. "Because he's a newborn and all. I mean not new, new anymore—he's a month old now, but…new enough, y'know?"

Tina nodded. "He's so, so cute. He got a really good mix of yours and Sam's looks."

"I think he's got more of Sam than me," admitted Mercedes with a soft smile.

"Mmmm, maybe a little but I definitely see you in him. Everyone knows he got your nose, but I think he's got your eye shape too."

At that, Mercedes giggled dubiously, "I think he's still too young to tell."

"Watch! When you just look at him, you can tell he's gonna look split right down the middle—like when he stands next to you, people will say he looks just like you. When he stands next to Sam they'll say he's the spitting image of him."

Mercedes had had this conversation with her parents before, and they felt the same way Tina did. It wasn't something she was opposed to; in fact she was very curious to see how Lukas was going to change as he continued to grow. But if she were to go off of hers and Sam's baby pictures, it was hard to say if Lukas was going to look more like her or like Sam. They both inherited strong features from their parents—more so from their dads.

She found herself pondering this again as she and Tina entered the mall.

"Soo what would you say has been the most exciting thing about being a mom? Man that's so weird to say, but in a fun way!"

Mercedes' brows raised a bit initially but it didn't take long for all her facial features to melt into pure contentment, "I really love when he's just woken up from a nap and he just stares up at you. It doesn't last long 'cause you know he's hungry or wet but for the couple of seconds that he's just looking at you…not demanding your attention or upset that he's hungry, or sleepy or needing a new diaper…I really love that. And oh my God he's still a thumb sucker, Tina!"

Tina grinned, "Really?"

"Uh-huh, just like in the ultrasound picture we've got!" She giggled, "He almost always sleeps with his little fists near his face and a few times he's found his thumb and started sucking on it! It was so cute!"

"Do you have a picture?"

"You know we do. Sam's been so camera crazy. And he's in love with the video camera Rachel got us. Ugh, I keep telling him to stop filming Lukas during bath time or he's gonna embarrass the hell outta him when he gets older."

"Tina laughed, "Oh my God, I didn't even think about that! Can you imagine—he brings a girl home and the home videos come out?"

Mercedes joined her in laughing and said, "Girl, I don't wanna think about him bringing a girl home for a long, long, _long _time!"

Just as they reached the Lane Bryant store, Mercedes' cell phone jingled and buzzed in her pocket. She pulled her phone out to see that she had a text message from Sam. Right away, her lips curled up, and the smile only few when she saw what he had texted her.

"Awwww," she half whined, half gushed, "Tina look!" She held her phone up so Tina could adore the picture too. Sam had Lukas cradled to his chest; Lukas' big green eyes were staring up at, Mercedes assumed was Sam, and his plump little lips were stretched into an unmistakable, toothless smile. He might have inherited her eye shape, as Tina stated, but the tiny creases that appeared at the corners of his eyes from the rise of his chubby cheeks were definitely Sam's. The caption he'd text for the picture read, "_Hi Mommy! Daddy changed my diaper the right way so I'm happy now!_"

"Oooohh my God! Okay, it's official—you and Sam have_ the_ cutest baby! Ugh, he's so adorable!"

Mercedes giggled again, "Thanks Tina." After texting Sam back and slipping her phone back in her pocket she huffed, "Okay! Let's get our shopping on."

"Yay!" cheered Tina with two quick fists in the air. "So what do you need from Lane Bryant? New bras for your bigger boobs?"

"Tina!"

Tina clamped her smiling lips together and shrugged, "What? You're telling me that they're not bigger?"

Mercedes scrunched up her face, "I didn't say that…but look, I came in here to find some…new underwear."

She knew she wasn't slick about her meaning but Tina still regarded her with confusion. "You brought me shopping for new underwear?"

"Not just any new underwear." Tina shook her head slowly a few times as if to say, 'I'm not following you', to which Mercedes hissed, "I need to buy lingerie, okay? I wanna get something sexy for Sam."

All traces of confusion vanished from Tina's face, "Are you guys gonna have sex soon?"

Mercedes lips puckered, thinking for only a moment, "I don't know. I mean I think it'd be kinda weird to schedule it all out but…if my doctor gives me the green light at my next appointment, then…well let's just say I wanna be prepared and I don't have anything like that."

She was currently pointing to a full figure mannequin wearing a pair of fire engine red satin and lace panties and a matching push-up bra with black lace along the lining of the cleavage.

"Ooo la, la—cute."

Mercedes rolled her eyes, "I didn't mean that, specifically. Besides it's kinda boring."

"So we need to find some lingerie that will be sexy and still say 'Cedes?"

Simultaneous to her triumphant nod, she said, "Yes."

Tina's smile changed to a slightly more mischievous one, "We got this. by the way, I'm glad you asked me to come help you and all but…how come you didn't ask Kurt?"

"Well…for a couple reasons: 1, I wanted to hang out with you today. And 2, I love Kurt but I don't think he ever went through the stress of picking our lingerie for his first time with Blaine."

While browsing through a rack of transparent babydoll dresses, Tina nonchalantly asked, "Are you gonna get waxed?"

"Heeelll to the nizzy-nah," Mercedes replied without hesitation. Tina giggled profusely while she explained, "I think my coochie's gona through enough trauma this year—I'm not about to have some chickes slap hot wax there and…" she shut her eyes and shook her head before completing the rant, "I'll take care of it myself when the time comes."

Tina managed to reign in her giggles and return to her cheerful calm as she said, "Okay. Hey what about this?"

Mercedes scrutinized the garment Tina was holding up to show her: a solid black babydoll dress with a pair of vaguely transparent leopard print boy shorts.

"Rawr," joked Mercedes with a quick, teasing purr. But after giving it a slightly longer glance, she said, "Let me see it."

"You like it?"

Mercedes shrugged, "I kinda do. I just..I want that outfit that's gonna help me keep my confidence up."

While Tina handed over the garment, she frowned, "Are you afraid to have sex with him? Because if you are, then it's probably not a good idea to plan all this out if you're not ready."

Mercedes shook her head, "That's not it. I am ready but I'm also nervous. I mean I've never done this before and I don't wanna be a disappointment to Sam."

It seemed like her reason for inviting Tina along had finally processed fully in Tina's mind. She gave Mercedes a slow nod and stepped up to hug her.

Mercedes returned the hug and after quietly thanking her, she went to draw away but Tina wasn't done hugging her.

"I had the same thoughts with Mike. Trust me when I say this…You'll be fine, Mercedes."

* * *

"Nooooo, not the dirty diaperrr!" Sam only partially feigned dread as he lifted Lukas' rear near his nose and then scrunched his face up. As he walked up the stairs he childishly whined, "You're supposed to wait until Mommy got back to drop a load, Squirt! Come on now, you know the drill."

Lukas merely garbled a soft cry in response and Sam rubbed his back, "I'm just teasing, Luke."

He reached the nursery and carefully lay Lukas on his changing table to check his diaper. "Please be gas, please be gas, please be gas," changed Sam as he unsnapped Lukas' onesie and pulled back the waist of his diaper. Again, Sam's face contorted, "Oooo man! Lukas!" He chuckled once but couldn't shake the sour look on his face.

"Well I guess it's as good a time as any for us to get cleaned up for the day since it's already well past noon, huh?"

Lukas cooed on and while Sam snatched up some wipes and cleaned him from the mess in his diaper. After getting rid of the dirty diaper and taking off Lukas' onesie, Sam picked up Lukas' miniature form and held him to his chest, then grabbed a fresh diaper and a new onesie and left for his bedroom. He laid Lukas down on the bed, long enough for him to quickly undress as well and then took Lukas with him to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Lukas's tiny fingers tried to cling to Sam's chest but ended up forming an empty fist instead. His large, almond-shaped eyes blinked slowly a few times while Sam stroked a few fingers across his fine wisps of honey brown hair.

He stepped into the shower with is back to the warm water and occasionally moved a hand away from Lukas to cup some water and gently sprinkle it along his son's back. The first time he'd done it, Lukas shuddered, causing his butt to poke out but after a while he'd grown accustomed to the act and kept himself huddled close to his daddy's chest.

Sam spent a long time in the shower, with Lukas and when Lukas started to get fussy, he shut the water off and got out to dry them both off. It took them some time but eventually he got a fresh diaper and a plain white onesie put on Lukas, and for himself he merely stayed dressed in a pair of boxers to keep cool from the sweltering summer heat, despite having several fans on throughout the house.

When he brought Lukas downstairs, he started humming "Superman" to him and made his way to the kitchen to warm up a bottle for him. He looked down and watched Lukas' big green eyes stare at nothing in particular, while he hummed away and waited for the bottle to be ready. Lukas' little lips rounded and stretched for a yawn, and a few seconds later, Sam found himself yawning. "We're taking a nap later, Squirt. You had your Mommy and me up all night."

He finished readying the bottle and took it and Lukas with him to living room. Initially he sat on the couch, but moved to the floor with his back against the couch. Once Lukas was cradled in one arm, Sam held the bottle nipple to Lukas' lips and watched him suckle away—his dark jade eyes fixed up on Sam's face. In a matter of minutes, Lukas' eyelids began to droop and shortly after they shut, he'd stopped sucking on the bottle. Sam pulled it gently out of his mouth and watched his chest rise and fall in a quick, even pace; he shifted his son so that Lukas' chubby cheek rested against his chest, and then Sam slowly slid until he was lying on the floor. He reached up with one hand and snatched a pillow off the couch, stuffed it beneath his head and then kept both hands securely over his son's back. After another yawn, he closed his own eyes and soon fell asleep as well, long enough and deep for him to be oblivious to Mercedes' return home.

* * *

"Next time," whispered Mercedes as she stood near the front door with Tina, smiling adoringly at her two boys.

Tina nodded, smiling brightly, "Okay. Don't forget to get pictures of this!"

"I won't," promised Mercedes.

Tina waved and headed out of the house, half skipping down the driveway towards Mike's car. He'd called while they were spending their day at the mall and wanted to pick Tina up for a surprise dinner date.

Mercedes closed the front door as quietly as possible and set her bags down long enough for her to take her cell phone out. She tip-toed around the coffee table until she had a good view of Sam and Lukas; Sam's head was lolled to the side with some blond strands falling over his eyes. He had a stern, look on his face as if he was concentrating hard on his slumber. Lukas, on the other hand, looked incredibly content on his daddy's chest, and even had some faint snores escaping his nose.

Mercedes steadied her phone in front of her and then lightly tapped the screen, capturing the tableau, and then promptly sent it to her mom, Mrs. Evans and Tina. After slipping her phone back in her pocket, she went back to her purchases and quietly took them upstairs to put away. By the time she'd come back down stairs, Lukas had been turning his head back and forth along Sam's chest—his indication of waking up soon. Mercedes saw Sam's grip along Lukas' back tighten, and a second later, he too was stirring awake.

Sam drew a deep breath and sleepily blinked his eyes as Lukas began to coo. When he turned his head in Mercedes' direction he rubbed his eyes and carefully sat up with their son.

"Hey Stormy," he croaked.

Mercedes was sitting on the couch, leaning forward with her elbows propped on her knees, and her chin resting in her hands. "Hi sleepyhead. You two have a good nap?"

"Mmmhm," Sam drowsily replied. "I need to get the AC fixed though. The fans might be enough for Luke but they're not cutting it for me."

"I can see that," she said with a grin, letting her eyes wander up and down his lack of clothes.

Sam let out a breathy chuckled, looking down at their son who was still waking up. When he looked back up at Mercedes he asked, "How was shopping with Tina?"

"It was fun. We saw a lot of cute stuff."

"Did you buy anything?"

Mercedes arched her brows, "Is the sky blue?"

Again, Sam chuckled, "Alright well show me what you got!"

"I'll show you some of what I got. But some of it, you're gonna have to wait to see."

Sam's brows furrowed, "How long? We're not talking like…Christmas?"

Mercedes rolled her eyes, "No. I know better than to torture you for _that_ long, Cap."

He grinned, unnecessarily wide and then said, "So when do I get to know?"

"Soon," she replied. "That's all I can tell you. In the meantime, I'm more than happy to show you the stuff I got Lukas."

Sam's grin softened and as he got up from the floor, Mercedes held her hands out for Lukas, who was fully awake now. When Sam handed him over, Mercedes coddled him close and pressed her heart-shaped lips to the side of his mocha-hued scalp. "Mommy missed you today, Lukas."

His fingers curled into her when she started for the stairs; Mercedes went on to tell Sam, "You're gonna flip when you see all the Avengers stuff Tina and I found at the mall for him. And can you believe they're already advertising stuff for Halloween?"

"Ooo!" exclaimed Sam, "Can we please dress him up like a baby Na'vi this year?"

Mercedes paused at the second story landing and looked back at Sam, "No. We're not painting his skin blue, Babe. That's probably not even good for him—he'll only be four months old by Halloween!"

"Just think about it," urged Sam. Even without seeing his face at her back, she could tell he was desperate for Lukas to be a little native Pandora child. "You and me could dress up too! We could be Jake and Netyri!"

Mercedes shook her head with a smile, "What if I wanna be something else for Halloween? Why are we even talking about this right now? Let's talk about Halloween costumes in September. I don't wanna think about four months from now."

"You don't wanna think about Lukas at four months," Sam mumbled.

Sure enough Sam had hit the nail right on the head; though Lukas was still very small, he was certainly growing and it was a conflicting truth for Mercedes. She was excited but it also made her pout to think about how quickly he was going to grow, so jumping ahead to Halloween was not what she wanted right now. Right now, she wanted to gush over the Captain America, Iron Man and Thor onesies and t-shirts she found at the mall. She wanted to hold on to the confidence Tina helped reinforce in her that when the time allowed for her, she would be ready.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! More is coming soon! Sorry if I devastate anyone by saying this, but Miracle Baby will come to an end soon. The number of chapters left is undetermined but I certainly can't see this fic going past 50 chapters. Just like Flash Forward, the final chapter posted will be a list of random notes of mine regarding moments throughout this fic. :)**_


	38. Chapter 38

**Mid-August 2012**

Sam and Mercedes hadn't left the house much over the past two months. There was the occasional trip to the store; doctor's appointments, dinners at Mercedes' parents house, and one weekend trip to Kentucky to visit his own family but beyond that, friends were either coming to him and Mercedes, or the two of them at home with Lukas. Tension was starting to thicken between them because of it. Mercedes would fuss at Sam about dishes piling up and he would make passive aggressive remarks under his breath about Mercedes monopolizing the television throughout the day. Both of them could feel the angst bubbling to a boiling point but relief came in the form of Puck's invitation for the two of them to join him and Abby for a day at the local aquatic center.

Mercedes insisted Sam go, and that she would watch Lukas. Normally he would have argued, not wanting her to have to spend the entire day alone with the baby, but because of how stifled they'd felt lately, he didn't protest her insistence. Puck came by with Abby around noon and Sam left with a backpack for his trunks, sunscreen and towel.

"Love you," Sam said, pecking Mercedes on the lips.

She returned the peck and a, "Love you too," then faintly smiled when Sam kissed the top of Lukas' head to tell him goodbye. Minus the slight balding spot from where his head normally lay, Lukas' caramel-colored hair was growing and curling slightly on the ends though most of it was fine and straight. His cheeks remained plump and rosy and while his body grew slightly longer, he still favored keeping himself huddle in the fetal position when he was held.

When Sam, Puck and Abby left, Mercedes gently stroked the top of Lukas' sleeping head while softly speaking to him. "What am I gonna do, Son? Hm? Daddy and I are ready to bite each other's heads off."

She looked down to admire his slumbering face and smiled at the fact that he currently didn't have a care in the world. "I hate fighting with your daddy but…half the time we gripe at each other and tick each other off."

She thought about how one afternoon, Sam planted himself in front of the T.V. with his PS3 controller practically glued to his hands while Mercedes was attempting to clean up the house during Lukas' nap. She wanted help but getting Sam away from his video games was like pulling teeth. And then there was a time where Sam tried his hand at cooking but burned the macaroni and cheese to the point where they couldn't salvage the pot it had been in; Mercedes griped about it all that evening, to the point where Sam opted for sleeping on the nursery floor.

She let out a worried sigh and carried Lukas upstairs to put him down for his nap. After turning on his music and monitor she quietly left the room and went to the bedroom to get her cell phone and make a call. Her initial thought was to call Tina and seek her advice but she wondered if there was a way for her to get some sound advice from her mom without telling her mom outright that she was hoping for more intimacy between she and Sam. With a deep breath, she hit the 'call' button as soon as she'd found her mom's cell number in her list of contacts. Mrs. Jones picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, Baby—how are things? How's my grandbaby?"

Mercedes sighed while sinking onto the mattress, "Hi Mom."

"Uh-oh…I can hear it in your voice—what's wrong?"

"Lukas is fine—he's taking a nap right now. It's Sam and me. It seems like we're almost always at each other's throats and…I don't know what to do. I don't like us being like this way but I don't know how to fix I, and every time we try to talk about it, we're either too tired to really talk it out, or someone comes over and the conversation's cut short, or Lukas starts to cry and we focus on him, so it doesn't really get resolved."

"What do you try to say when you guys talk about it?"

"I try to address our fights and he makes suggestions to fix things but it's always things for him to do which makes me look like the bad guy. I hate that and I tell him that, and then we just end up arguing all over again."

"Well, Baby you guys have gone this long without any big fights since Christmastime—maybe you two were just overdue for some more tension."

Mercedes' brows furrowed at what her mom was saying. "We were overdue?"

"Yeah. I mean it's not healthy to have a relationship that's all good all the time. Your father and I fight from time to time but we work it out in our own ways."

"Like what?" Mercedes asked.

Mrs. Jones hesitated for a second and then said, "Well, sometimes we talk it out—usually we talk it out."

"Uh-huh and when that doesn't work?"

"…Well…we've gone on walks together, or gone on vacation together…"

A walk maybe have been doable for her and Sam, except that they already do that almost daily with Lukas, and going on a walk without Lukas wasn't an option they'd afforded themselves. As for a vacation, Mercedes had been short-sighted in seeing how that would differ from the way things were right at home; they'd be in a different place, but it would still be the three of them. Unless…

The way her mom's sentence had trailed off led Mercedes' thoughts down a path she didn't want to think of when it came to her parents, however she couldn't deny that what her mom implied wasn't a terribly idea to venture. "I think I know what I'm gonna do."

She could practically see the brows raise on her mom's forehead, "Is that right?"

"Yeah. But I gotta go."

"You're not about to jet off to Vegas with Sam and my grandbaby, are you?"

Mercedes rolled her eyes, "Mom, really? No Sam and I aren't eloping. I'm gonna see if our friends, Finn and Quinn will watch Lukas for the night. That way he won't be far but Sam and I will have a chance to just…be alone and try to sort this out."

She didn't want to divulge the details of her thoughts to her mom; that would lead to a much longer conversation than she desired to have right now, and chances are, by the end of the conversation, her mom would have her nerves shot.

"Mm," her mom hummed, "That sounds like a good idea. If your fiends can't watch him though, send him on over to his Grandma T."

With a smile, Mercedes told her, "Okay. Thanks Mom. I love you."

"I love you too, Baby. I hope you and Sam sort things out."

Taking a quiet deep breath and nodding, she replied, "Me too. I'll talk to you later."

After the call ended, she started on a new call.

"Hello?" she heard the familiar, friendly feminine voice come through the receiving end of her cell.

"Hey Quinn, it's Mercedes."

"Hi Mercedes! How are you?"

Mercedes bit her lip, "Fine but…I was hoping you and Finn could do a favor for Sam and I…"

* * *

"Can get meee," taunted Abby with an excited grin in Sam's direction.

Sam smiled back at her and hunched—his fingers wiggling, trigging her to take off running across s the grass. He let her get a bit of distance before closing in on her and scooping her in his arms, covering her face in growls and kisses. She squealed and giggled in his arms while trying to pushy his stubbly face away from hers.

Sam chuckled, "Come on, Abbster—time to go."

"Awww noooo!" she whined, dropping her jovial features to a deep frown.

Sam cringed at her abrupt sadness and tried reasoning with her. "We gotta go get food though. We've been here all day, Abbster. Aren't you hungry?"

"No," she lied through pouted lips, causing Sam to chuckle.

"Well I am and I bet your daddy is too. We'll come back sometime, okay?"

Still pouting, Abby replied, "Kaay."

He smiled and kissed her cheek once more before hoisting her to sit on his shoulders, "Let's get our stuff and find your daddy. I'm starting to think he got his butt stuck on the toilet or something."

It was nearly nightfall by the time Sam had come back home. He'd spent the entire day at the aquatic center with Puck and Abby, and then the three of them met up with Lauren during her break at the hospital and got dinner; Sam made sure to order something to-go for Mercedes, unsure if she'd already eaten or not. By the time Puck brought him back home, he'd been ready to shower and park it in front of the T.V. for the rest of the night, assuming Mercedes would relinquish it to him.

He sighed while opening the door, not having the energy to go another round of arguing with her, but to his surprise, the television was off. His brows rose while he scanned the living room, "Stormy?" he said, practically to himself. Still toting her take-out, he tried the kitchen but it too was noiseless and desolate. Sam stuck the bag of food in the fridge and strode out of the room.

Concern over the eerie quiet had Sam call out, "Stormy?"

"I'm upstairs," she called back.

He felt a fraction of relief, trekking up the stairs but when he passed the nursery and noticed it was empty, he continued on to the bedroom.

"Stormy, where's Lu—kas…"

His words sputtered and his eyes widened; Lukas was certainly nowhere in their room.

* * *

(_**This part will reflect both their PoV, but mostly Mercedes'. Enjoy!**_)

Mercedes was sitting in the middle of their bed, dressed in the piece of lingerie she'd purchased for this very moment—or at least, the moment she was hoping might happen that evening. Her upper body donned a deep red baby doll top that allowed Sam to see through the material everywhere except for the area across the middle of her chest. For panties, she wore matching red satin boy shorts that stopped directly below the bottom of her rear. Her hair was laying in perfect, wavy falls on either side of her barely made-up face.

Sam was gawking at this point, and his still staring made her cast a nervous smile at him.

"Hi," she finally said without taking her eyes off of him.

"H-…hi," he stammered back and then accidentally dropped his backpack. She watched him swallow hard and smiled, amused by his blatant reaction to her ensemble.

"Lukas is spending the night with Uncle Finn and Auntie Quinn tonight."

She waved him forward and he approached the bed warily—as if she were an apparition that would vanish if he got too close. But when she sat down on the bed, not only could he smell the alluringly sweet honeysuckle aroma breathing from her skin, but he felt the shift on the mattress when she moved to crawl over to him and stand on her knees behind him. When her warm, soft hands came down on his bare shoulders, Sam shivered but quickly accepted the massage she'd begun to give his shoulders.

"How was the aquatic center?" she asked.

"It was fun," he answered warily; though he didn't want to be suspicious—she was giving a mean massage while his mind kept picturing her in the lingerie—he couldn't help wondering what had brought on her actions and wardrobe, or lack thereof. "Hooow was your day?"

She bent her head and kissed his shoulder, and then proceeded to slide his unbuttoned plaid shirt off. "It was good."

Sam let her take the shirt off but his brows fell low over his eyes. He was about to ask what brought on her mood but she spoke up before he had the chance.

"Listen, Cap…Sam, I wanted to apologize for how I've been acting lately. I know things have been a little tense between us and I just want you to know that I love you, and I'm really grateful for everything you do for Lukas, and for me."

He twisted his torso to look in her pair of brown hues, taking in her genuine apology while trying to keep his eyes from wandering down at her lingerie again. He needed as clear a head as possible to give his response. "I'm sorry too, Mercedes. I know this is all new to both of us and…well, we can get overwhelmed sometimes. I know I've felt that way a lot, and…I don't mean to take it out on you when I do."

Mercedes nodded once as her lips broke out in a soft smile. Her hands moved from his shoulders to either side of his face. "I didn't want tonight to just be about us apologizing to each other though. I'm glad we did, but…I think you and me have been doing a lot of talking, for a while…"

Sam lowered her hands from his face with his own hands and craned his neck up to kiss her lips tenderly. "I think you're right," he replied with equal softness. His gaze went to her pillow soft, lightly glossed lips for only a second before he looked up in her eyes again. "Are you sure about this?"

Her lips tucked inside her mouth while she nodded. "I'm ready, if that's what you mean."

Sam turned his half-naked body to face her, and this time he let his eyes wander over her dark red lingerie and bit on his lip, then licked it. "You look sexy by the way. Red really is your color."

She blushed, scooting back on the bed on her knees. No one had ever called her sexy before—besides Kurt and Tina, but they didn't count. "Thanks."

He followed her further onto the bed until they were both standing on their knees in the center. Sam leaned towards his side of the bed, reaching for the knob on the nightstand drawer; when he stood upright on his knees again, he'd tossed a small, square packet on his pillow, then snaked an arm around her middle and nestled his face in the crook of her neck, starting a trail of kisses there. While he kissed and occasionally sucked at her soft, smooth brown skin, he muttered, "You smell amazing."

She knew he had a thing for her honeysuckle body wash but she'd acquired the body cream for it too and smoothed a generous amount over her body, not long before Sam had come home. Her eyes rolled shut while her hands came up to rest over the backs of his shoulders. His sun-kissed skin was still very warm from being outside; the thin fabric of his plaid shirt had done very little to protect him from the heat. She felt more of the heat soak right through her baby doll top, the instant Sam pressed his body closer to her while his fingers slid down her curvy contours.

For a moment, she started to over-think things—was she supposed to be doing something right now too? Should she kiss his neck too? Or maybe slip her fingers through his hair. What was a good turn-on for him? Maybe she should take some of Tina's advice and see if he'd let her massage his length with her hand. But would the unsteadiness of her fingers give away her nervousness? Would he feel offended and wrongfully think she thought he _needed_ assistance?

The answer to all her doubts was snuffed and must have had something to do with her lingerie because the next thing she knew, something stiff brushed against the front of her panties, causing her to gasp.

Sam's lips left her neck. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

She nodded and flushed, feeling a bit stupid and hurriedly replied, "I'm fine. Sorry."

He raised his head and looked right in her eyes, "I'll be careful, but if I hurt you at all, tell me, okay?" As she nodded back he pressed another kiss to her lips and then added, "I don't wanna hurt you if I can help it."

"I understand," she said back, returning his kiss. This time, their lips stayed on one another. Kissing was something she was familiar with; this was something she felt absolutely certain of being able to fairly contribute to. But the feeling of Sam's erect shaft against her groin again made her inadvertently deepen the kiss. Sam kept up with her easily however and pulled her closer to him.

Her knees started to feel about as sturdy as noodles; it seemed like all the blood had retreated from them to her lower lips—an area that was starting to feel just as firm as the catalyst for it. She groaned against his lips while gliding her tongue across his lip to be granted admission.

As Sam complied, parting their lips a bit, he leaned his body forward to get Mercedes to lie back. She adjusted her legs so that they were bent on either side of him. At the vaguely familiar feeling of her tongue dancing warmly inside his mouth, Sam moan and pressed his lips against hers. One arm supported his weight—his fingers spread apart, pressed into the mattress, while his other arm moved from around her. Before abandoning his contact with her body however, his fingers lifted her top just enough for him to slide the material up.

"No. Please," she quietly insisted. She'd done enough reading to know that if her top came off, she'd be losing the built-in bra which put her at risk of Sam getting milk squirted in his face. And all she could think of, was how that would be the ultimate mood killer so she wanted her top left on. Much to her relief, Sam hadn't been bothered by her defiance and instead tugged teasingly at the elastic waist of her panties.

"Can I?" he mumbled against her lips.

"Mmhm," she muttered back, circling her arms around his neck for a moment. She had a moment of relief from Sam's hardening shaft as he arched his butt up and started to peel her panties away from her hips. Mercedes' hand caught his however and shifted a bit on the bed to help him. A couple of seconds later, the underwear was off and Sam cast them to the floor.

A week prior, when she thought she and Sam might have resolved things, she'd gone with Tina to get waxed for the first time. Thinking on it now, she was grateful she and Sam hadn't gotten this intimate until now—the stinging bothered her for days. But now she'd felt fine; she'd received the "OK" from her doctor, weeks ago and now she was working to push her nervousness away as she watched Sam's green gaze drift from her face, down the middle of her chest and past her belly button. She bit her lip but when he looked back up at her, he was smirking. She smirked too—more out of nervousness than anything, but she'd felt relieved when he lowered his face towards hers, and then began kissing and sucking at a spot above her busty chest.

Her arms came back around his back and when she started to inch her fingers up the nape of his neck for his hair, her hand clutched his hair suddenly, coupled with the air she gasped.

Sam's long, dry fingers started to play inside her; first the index, and then his middle finger joined in teasing her clit. Mercedes managed to let her gasp of air go in the form of a moan, but her fingers were locked in a fist around Sam's blond crop.

"You like that?" he asked—his voice growing husky against her skin.

Her eyes rolled shut once the initial shock had gone and nothing but pure pleasure coursed through her mind and body. "Yes," she moaned back.

While Sam's face started to migrate to her cleavage, his now wet fingers began to slowly stroke her beyond her lower lips. Unable to help herself, Mercedes arched her hips, causing his fingers to slip deeper into her for a second. Her mind was slipping away from reason or doubt; his swelling methods were erasing her fears—breaking them off like a slab of ice and sending it to float far, far away. And though she was having trouble thinking straight at the moment, the hand that wasn't gripping Sam's hair was making jagged slips down his side to try and get rid of his boxers.

"Oh God!" she uttered harshly with a hitched breath.

The next thing she knew, Sam's fingers had left her; she opened her eyes to find him sopping up the excess from his fingers. He quickly smirked down at her, pulling both fingers slowly out of his mouth and then yanking his boxers off. After shimmying them down to his ankles, he kicked them off to join her panties on the floor, and then brought himself closer to her again. This time there were no barriers between them; just skin on skin—warmth on warmth. She started to clench her thighs around him but he shifted, indicating for her to stop while his hand reached up past her head and drew back with the little gold wrapped condom.

With her hands on either side of her naked form, she gently clenched at the comforter beneath her—the nervousness creeping back up again. She'd caught a glimpse of Sam's liberated and erect member and while she'd been impressed—not knowing who else's she could compare it to—she was also anticipating what was to come after he got the condom on.

Seconds later, he was tossing the wrapper and tiny square cardboard over his shoulder and lowering himself back to Mercedes. His lisp trailed up and down her jaw while he muttered, "remember…tell me to stop if it's too much, okay?"

She shivered at the seductive tone his voice had taken, but nodded as the tip of his shaft found the part in her lips and slowly entered her.

Sam groaned; Mercedes gasped, then a whimper escaped her lips that quickly turned into a moan. Sure, the pain was there but it was a pain that she didn't mind because what came with it felt too good to complain about. Her fingers gripped the blanket even tighter as Sam began to grind against her at a slow pace.

Mercedes whipped her head to the side and eagerly searched for his lips with her own. Once she found them, she kissed him messily and he reciprocated while picking up a marginally faster cadence of thrusts.

"Oh S-Sam…" she strained—her heart thumping hard in her chest.

A thought flashed in her mind; Sam dancing to the cheesy nursery rhyme tunes of Lukas' swing, except he was doing a lot more than the hokey pokey. He'd done a lot of ass shaking, hip rocking and body rolling. Right now, it felt like he was putting those same body rolls to use; whether he was or wasn't, she'd enjoyed the rippling motion his torso and hips were teaming up on at the moment. With a restless pair of hands, she moved both over his ass while he thrust; each time she felt the muscles in his rear pulse strongly with each thrust. Her hands stayed there while a tight, pulling sensation started in her lower abs.

"Mercedes I'm gonna…" he started to say in a weak but gruff voice. She already knew what he hadn't finished stating because she was feeling it too. And while he'd groaned through his climax, Mercedes' gaping mouth let out an ecstatic whimper—her own juices soaking her groin, the instant Sam pulled himself out of her.

He dropped his forehead on her chest, sweating and exhausted, and then let his head loll to one side over her breasts.

"Wow," he panted.

"I'll say." She breathed a short chuckle, unsure of what she was feeling, other than pure ecstasy. Sam had been careful, thoughtful and gentle with her, while also making things pleasurable for them both.

Mercedes turned her head as Sam shifted off of her. He'd quickly moved off her and muttered, "Hang on," excusing himself to the bathroom; her brows furrowed but she understood what he was doing when he returned without a used condom on his dick. Almost immediately, her lips curved into a smile when he slipped back into bed, sidling right up to her backside with his arms coming around her.

"Can we go again? That was incredible," she whispered to him, weaving their fingers together.

Sam bent his head slightly—his forehead gently pressed to the back of her head—and pressed a love-filled kiss to her back and the nape of her neck. "Thanks," he murmured appreciatively while stealing her earlier replies. Her interest in more made him smile crookedly. "You were pretty amazing yourself."

One soft, humorless chuckle left her lips, "I didn't do anything though."

She felt Sam shift slightly behind her and when she turned her head to see, he was looking down at her in the night light, ready to ask, "Excuse me, but did you miss me having to make that trip to the bathroom? Cause that little trip wasn't to check my hair in the mirror."

His forwardness made her flush and smile bashfully. When she settled her gaze forward again, Sam relaxed into her backside again and resumed giving her the softest kisses along her smooth back. "Give me minute and then we can go again."

He managed to slip his fingers free from Mercedes, just so that he could stroke his fingertips along the length of her bare arm. It started to feel soothing to Mercedes, but a moment later he began surprising her by slowly kissing her down the length of her arm, and then bringing her hand up to his lips so he could kiss each of her knuckles. Eventually his digits took to caressing her unclothed thigh and calf, letting his fingers really explore and appreciate her body more than they already did.

"I love you, Sam," she whispered unexpectedly.

Sam's fingers slowed and stopped their caressing of her skin and for a split second, Mercedes wondered what was going through his mind. But his hand moved up to her shoulder and gently pulled, indicating for her to turn over. She complied, lying on her back and looking up at Sam, who was still lying on his side.

For the first time since he'd returned from the bathroom, she was looking at his face. His features were settled but a blend of emotions were found in his eyes—passion, exhaust, contentment, and most importantly, love. She kept her gaze fixed on his green orbs while his lips clearly and finally murmured, "And I love you, Mercedes."

Rather than merely hearing the words fall on her ears, or seeing them glide effortlessly from his lips, she felt them pierce her heart—like he was injecting her heart directly with his love, causing it to swell without any dangerous ramifications. She couldn't explain what made their love declaration differ so much from previous time—perhaps their recent love-making, or perhaps them finally hurtling over their ongoing tension, or both. Maybe neither but it didn't matter what the cause was to her. She'd felt the happiest with Sam that she'd ever felt—second only to Lukas' arrival in the world.

Blushing and smiling—with a slight mist in her eyes, Mercedes reached up, slipping a hand over one side of his face, and then raised her head from the pillows to meet his lips with her own.

Maybe it was a young, naïve, cliché thought, or maybe it wasn't, but in that moment she felt absolutely certain that he was it for her. No matter what the future held for them, Samuel Blake Evans would be her only love.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! I'm very interested to know what you all thought of this particular chapter. And can I just say: WOW! As I was working on this, Miracle Baby got its 600**__**th**__** review! Each one of you who've been reading and reviewing this story (or have just been reading along) are incredible. Thank you so much! I really didn't think any of my stories would exceed the amount of feedback that Flash Forward got, but I've humbly been proven wrong through this fic and REAL Love. I really can't say thank you enough! More is coming! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**_


	39. Chapter 39

**Mid-August 2012**

The desire to sleep in was strong, but the morning light and habitual early rising to tend to Lukas had Sam opening his eyes already. His lower abs were a bit tender from the previous night but beyond that, he was feeling refreshed and content. Directly below his chin was the top of Mercedes' head; she was still breathing slow even breaths and had her partially dressed backside snuggled up to his naked front. Quietly, he yawned and then carefully shifted in the bed so that he could trace his fingertips lightly along a bare spot on her back for a moment. When she shrugged her shoulders from his touch, Sam smiled and stopped, ending with his lips pressed in the spot.

"I love you, Stormy," he whispered and then quietly got out of the bed. As much as he wanted to lay the day away with his lady love, he was missing their son, and also knew that Puck would be over later to get some work done. Last night had been exactly what he needed, but hadn't known it until it happened. After their first go-around, Mercedes wanted him on his back so she could have a go at some of the work; he didn't know why it was important to her but there was no way he was going to argue letting her ride him. Thinking on how good she was brought a smile back to his face now as he snatched up a pair of pajama shorts from his dresser and quietly made his way out of the room.

In addition to the tenderness along his abs, his stomach had been growling to be fed. He chuckled, taking the stairs speedily on his way to the kitchen. The buoyant feeling that was coursing through his body was one he hadn't felt in a long, long time. The flame in all aspects of his and Janelle's relationship had been doused long ago; one of the first things to nosedive had been their sex life. Everything about Mercedes, however, had been such a breath of fresh air—she was spunky, intelligent, strong, kind and an amazing lover in every way possible. Last night, while he was stamping the shoulders of her smooth, ebony skin with his lips she'd made his heart swell when she told him that giving herself to him when she did had all been worth the wait.

He thought this and more about last night over and over while getting some coffee started, followed by some egg cracking into a bowl. Mercedes had been making an effort to teach him a few things in the kitchen, so he figured scrambled eggs was something he could handle on his own. It seemed simple enough. While whisking the eggs with a fork, Sam began to whistle until he heard a faint yet clear creak of wood from the stairs. He smiled and continued beating the eggs, and then turned on the stove. AS he shook some salt and pepper into the bowl, the corners of his lips curled, sensing Mercedes' presence. She crossed the room and hadn't stopped until her arms curled around him from behind.

"Good morning, Stormy," he murmured, still smiling.

"Mhm it is," she replied—the sleepiness still present in her voice. "How long have you been up?"

Sam left the bowl along for a moment and turned around in Mercedes' arms. She'd covered up in her purple bathrobe and was smiling up at him. "I've been up for a little bit. Did you sleep well?"

"Mmmyes. You?"

"Sure did," he replied before lowering his face to peck her lips. When he pulled away he told her, "I'm making eggs if you're hungry."

"I'm starving!" she chuckled , moving her arms from around him. "Can I help you?"

He shrugged, turning back towards the stove, "I wouldn't mind you making sure I don't burn the house down."

At that, she giggled and told him, "Well for starters, you'll wanna heat some oil in the pan so you don't burn it or cause the eggs to stick to the bottom."

He listened and when he managed to scramble the eggs around the saucepan without them sticking to the bottom, he stepped away from the stove long enough to give Mercedes a gratuitous kiss on the lips. She returned it and poured the two of them some orange juice and took it in the living room. Sam heard her flip on the television, only to promptly change the station to a music channel. He heard the middle of The Spinners' "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love?" playing as he plated their breakfast—adding some grapes and a slice of bread to each of their plates—and then carried their food out of the kitchen.

Once he joined his girlfriend in the living room, he sang along to the easy-going Motown number, "_You've made me such a happy boy and honey, you'll always be the only one for me—meeting you was my destiny. You can be sure I will never let you down; when you need me I'll be around, and darling you'll always be the only one for me. Heaven made you 'specially_…."

He matched the growing smile on Mercedes' face and his cheeks turned pink, but he sang his way to the couch, only stopping when a forkful of hot eggs made their way inside his mouth.

She ate as well while humming along and bobbing her head to The Spinners. And as the music went from song to song, the two of them ate slowly, sipped their cups slowly and frequently exchanged knowing gestures—a smile, lip biting, or a fleeting glance; unnecessary fiddling with their hair and the occasional giggle at unspoken thoughts. The love between them from the night before was still very electric that morning.

As Sam made to entertain her by tossing a grape up and catching it in his mouth, the doorbell rang, stealing his attention and causing the grape to bounce off his cheek and tumble to the floor.

"I got it," Mercedes said, rising from her knees and making her way to the front door. Sam tossed the missed grape on his plate, left what little remained of his eggs on the coffee table and got up to join her at the door.

"Sorry I'm early, I know but I had to drop Jenny, love off early at the hospita—" Puck cut himself off, looking from Sam to Mercedes and letting his lips grow into a wide Cheshire Cat grin, "Oh you two fucked!"

"Shh! Shut up!" urged Mercedes who had quickly flushed.

"What?" asked Puck. "_Who's_ gonna hear me?"

Mercedes swatted his arm, "I don't know but it's not something you've gotta announce to the whole neighborhood."

"Oh I'm sure you were making plenty of announcements to the whole neighborhood," he teased with several wiggles of his brows.

Mercedes threw her hands up, only to promptly bury the smile she couldn't fight in the too-long sleeves of her robe.

"Sooooo Cap," Puck sidled up to Sam, hooking an arm around his neck, "Did Storm bring the thunder in the bedroom last night?"

"Puck!" shrieked Mercedes.

"Stark!" echoed Sam, a beat later.

"What?!" he replied innocently, after receiving an elbow the chest by Sam.

The two men watched Mercedes take to the stairs, "I'm getting a shower and putting some clothes on so I can go get Lukas."

"I'll be up in a sec, Stormy," said Sam, trying to ignore the warmth on his cheeks and ears. His eyes and Puck's watched Mercedes until she disappeared in the bedroom and closed the door. The moment the door shut, Sam looked back to Puck, smirked and gave him two thumbs up.

"Ha!" Puck quietly cheered with a supportive fist gripping the air. "I knew it—Mama Munroe's got that_ glow_! You're looking a little golden too, Cap."

Sam chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully. "Dude…last night was...it was just amazing."

He kept on smiling—especially since Puck was acting like a 13 year-old boy about everything. He and Mercedes hadn't planned on announcing to their friends that they'd had sex, but it was clearly on both their faces, regardless of how casual they thought they were being that morning. And _nothing _got past Puck.

"Yo, where's Luke Skywalker at anyhow?"

Finally able to reign in his smile, Sam started for the stairs, "He's next door at Quinn and Finn's. Where's Abbster?"

"Spending a couple days at Jenny's parents'. Maybe she and I should take a leaf outta yours and Storm's book tonight. Eh? Eh?"

Sam rolled his eyes at the brow wiggling and light nudging from Puck but he chuckled also, "If you want to. I'll be back down in a sec and then we can get to work on the next _Chronic Chameleons_ issue."

"Well while you and Storm dub your shower another fucking ground, I'm gonna go get your kid."

Sam smacked his palm to his forehead, then sped up his pace to his bedroom. While a little shower sex sounded appealing, he wasn't interested in giving his best friend even more ammo to tease and heckle him and Mercedes all day long.

* * *

Not long after Sam approached the bathroom, pushed the door open and asked, "Mind if I join you, Stormy?" did Mercedes step away from the warm water.

She drew back the shower curtain enough for him to see her capped head and slightly wet face. Her cheeks were full from the smile she was giving him. "Come here, Cap," she murmured while bending her finger in a come hither manner.

As he bent to remove his boxers, he stepped into the shower, Mercedes disappeared behind the curtain once more. "Puck's picking Lukas up for us," he told her. When he drew back the blue curtain and stepped inside, he was immediately greeted by warm, steamy water and Mercedes' flawless form. Puck was right though—she was glowing. Her smile was infectious, and her brown doe-like eyes were looking at him and only him. He stepped to her without taking his eyes off of her and artfully removed her loofa from her hand to do the job for her. Eventually he'd covered her round shoulders, soft curves and luscious backside with the now foamy honeysuckle-scented shower gel.

She relished in the feeling of his hands caressing her slick skin and eventually moved herself closer to him, molding her front to his. His arms rested around her while he slowly turned them, putting his back to the shower head now. She looked up as the water dampened his hair to the sides of his face, and smiled when he smiled down at her. There was a strong hope in her heart that many mre showers like these could happen in the future; sadly this one couldn't last much longer as Sam reluctantly reminded her, "Better wrap this up before Puck comes up here, looking for more reasons to tease us or something."

Mercedes rolled her eyes, knowing how right Sam was, and added, "And we've got Lukas to think about. As much as I loved this, I miss my little Punkin Head."

Sam chuckled at her pouting lips and childish tone, but he'd agreed—they loved each other deeply, but Lukas was a whole other kind of love that they both had an affinity for, and he'd also been missing his son. He washed himself up with some help from Mercedes and then pulled her under the water with him to let the warmth chase the soap off their bodies. After shutting the water off, the two of them stepped out of the shower with their fingers playfully interlinked until they went to bring their towels around themselves.

After drying off and slipping their underwear on, Sam dressed in jeans and one of his many form-fitting v-necks while Mercedes shimmied up a pair of black, calf-length leggings and a yellow and black-striped scoop neck tank. She started to ask Sam what comic they were all going to work on that day when she heard the front door open and shut downstairs, along with short, muffled baby cries. She and Sam both looked to the bedroom door, frozen for only a second, and then they both made haste to get out of their bedroom and be reunited with their son.

Lukas made tiny, quick cries out in Puck's arms.

"Aw relax, Luke. It's okay. You're back home now," crooned Puck in the kindest voice. Mercedes only heard him speak like this whenever he'd talk to Abby—soft, borderline silly at times, and gentle. She smiled as Finn came in behind Puck with the pack 'n play, diaper bag and carrier. He set them down and then waved 'farewell' to the group.

"Thanks again, Finn. Sam and I will have you and Quinn over for dinner soon, okay?"

"Add your peanut butter cookies and we'll call it even!" Finn called back with one of his goofy smirks and a wave while he crossed the lawn.

Puck gasped and kept up his voice, "Look, there's Mommy and Daddy, Luke!"

Lukas, who had been huddled up to Puck's chest and cooing into his shoulder, was slowly lifted away and turned so that his sad face could be seen by his Mommy.

Mercedes' face became impossibly brighter as she smiled wide and reached her hands out for her son. "Hiii Punkin Head—Mommy missed you so much, Baby Boy!"

"Puck craned his neck so that his face was right between hers and Lukas', "But Mommy and Daddy were still plenty happy last night, Luke."

A smidgen flushed, Mercedes freed up one of her hands to use it to push Puck's face away, "That's enough outta you, Stark." As her smile returned she told Lukas, "Let's go upstairs and get some work done, okay? We'll help Daddy and Uncle Puck figure out this big fight for the Chameleons."

Lukas' doe-like green eyes stared blankly at his mom until she gave his tiny, plump lips a lip-popping peck that automatically triggered an unmistakable, toothless smile.

The three comic book workers bantered for a good hour about a fight that was to take place between the Chameleons and their arch nemesis Dr. Thanatos—the scientist, inadvertently responsible for the Chameleon's chronic abilities, who is now bent on harboring the young adults for his personal gain. Puck wanted them to seek permission to include a more famed Marvel hero in this part, but Sam was against the idea, saying that it would be random and cliché to use someone like Spiderman to carry the comic. Mercedes appeased that argument by suggesting that they keep it into consideration, but also try to think of an alternative idea to mak the battles interesting, sensible and memorable. While they thought things over, Sam and Puck drew and Mercedes took to nursing Lukas.

"You two should work on keeping the eye fucking to a minimum," spoke Puck when a long stretch of silence came over them all. "If I have to watch it much more, I get this feeling it's gonna turn into more than just looking!"

Mercedes lowered her gaze with a coy smile while Sam chuckled and told him, "Don't worry about that, Stark. I'm getting a bit of a headache anyway so…"

When she looked up, she saw him pressing his long fingers his left temple while his head was bent over his sketching paper. A frown crossed her lips as she asked, "Do you want some aspirin or something, Babe?"

Sam looked over at her and gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "It's fine, Stormy. I'm sure it'll pass soon. All the going around in circles about Dr. Thanatos probably just got to me."

She gave one sad nod and considered dismissing it but the fixed look that Puck had on Sam made her worry linger.

"You sure about that, Cap?" Puck seriously asked.

"Yeah—don't trip," Sam promptly replied, lowering his hand from the side of his face.

Puck and Mercedes exchanged glances with one another, but Puck broke the gaze to glare at his sketch pad while Mercedes lowered her eyes to adjust her bra and remove the blanket from a now sleeping Lukas. A silence filled with anxiousness came over them until Mercedes attempted to break it by softly humming. She rocked gently, watching Lukas' plump lower lip give slight quivers in his sleep. His growing physical likeness to Sam—save his nose and the shape of his eyes—made Mercedes smile softly. The shape of his nearly-visible honey brown brows was identical to Sam's; The way the skin near the corner of his eyes faintly crinkle whenever he smiles big enough.

She would've spent more time lingering on Lukas' features, but the sound of pens and pencils toppling over had Mercedes' gaze snapping up. Her brain struggled to keep up with what her eyes were now seeing. Sam had a death grip on his pencil but his entire body had gone rigid. His body began to jerk in unsettling manners that had Mercedes gasping. He'd slashed his pencil once, violently across his chest

"Sam?!" she half called out, half whimpered. Had her hands been free, she would have gotten up to—if nothing else, get the pencil out of Sam's hands, but she hadn't brought Lukas' carrier in the room. Thankfully Puck reacted a lot quicker than she could have; he practically flew out of his chair and arrested Sam's wrist with his hand.

"He's seizing—Sam!"

Puck pried the pencil out of his hand and chucked it away, but it hadn't stopped Sam's jerky movements.

"Mercedes, call 911!" barked Puck as he hooked his arms around Sam's and simultaneously moved him to a clear space on the floor. Mercedes couldn't take her eyes off of her convulsing boyfriend, however. She had gently cupped Lukas' face towards her chest as if she were preventing him from seeing his daddy like this, though he'd still been fast asleep.

"MERCEDES!" roared Puck, snapping her out of her terrified stupor.

She looked around frantically until she spotted her phone sitting on Sam's desk. She moved as quickly as possible towards it while clamping her lips tightly together, fighting her urge to cry. She dialed 9-1-1 with trembling fingers and tried to speak as calmly as possible to the dispatcher. It didn't help that she couldn't stop staring at the deadened gaze stuck in Sam's eyes.

Puck continued trying to talk to Sam, but cut himself off and quickly turned Sam on his side as his blond-headed best friend started to vomit his breakfast.

"Oh my God," Mercedes breathed—her eyes stinging with tears. She held Lukas a little tighter and reminded herself fiercely to stay strong for Sam and their son when she wanted nothing more than to break down and cry.

She didn't know how many seconds passed before Sam's body finally stopped convulsing and rejecting his breakfast, but when it did, Sam's eyes finally closed and his body went limp, save for some shallow breathing. Puck pulled him away from the puddle of bile as the dispatcher on the other end of the phone asked Mercedes if Sam had stopped seizing. When she told the woman, 'yes', the dispatcher began to give her instructions to stay on the line until the ambulance arrived.

With swift timing, the ambulance sirens sounded in the neighborhood, growing louder as the vehicle neared the house.

"Mercedes," Puck sternly spoke. "Go lay Luke down in his crib so you can answer the door."

She nodded sadly, willing her feet to walk away from Sam. Her mind began to flood with terrified gratitude that Puck had been there; though she'd finally managed to call for help, she didn't know what would have happened had Puck not been here through all of this.

Once Lukas was peacefully resting inside his crib, Mercedes started down the hallway, passing the office as the doorbell rang. She hurried down the stairs, not stopping until she reached the front door. A small team of paramedics were there, and after Mercedes hung up with the dispatcher, she told the medics where her boyfriend was. Three of them hurried off to the stairs while one stayed with her to calm her down and talk to her about what had happened. She didn't realize how badly she was shaking until the medic told her to take some deep breaths.

"Mercedes! Oh my God, what happened?!" she heard from beyond the medic. Quinn was speed walking to the door with her hands holding her slightly swollen belly. "Is Lukas okay?"

"It's Sam," she breathed, and caught Quinn's hands fly up over her mouth. A second later, Quinn asserted herself through the door, past the medic to hug Mercedes tightly. Mercedes returned the embrace and said, "Q-Quinn you have to drive us to the hospital. Please. I-I can't drive and Puck…"

Quinn pulled away but left her hands on Mercedes' shoulders, "Of course. Where's Lukas?"

"Upstairs. S-sleeping."

Quinn nodded, "Go get him ready, okay? We'll be ready to follow the ambulance, I promise." Quinn gave Mercedes a few encouraging nods to try and get through to Mercedes. "It's gonna be okay. Sam'so ne of the strongest people I know. He'll be okay."

Mercedes wasn't sure who Quinn was trying to convince but she found herself nodding as well anyway and then slowly broke away to return to her son.

* * *

_**As usual I'm interested to know what your thoughts on this chapter were/are. Thanks for the support and I'm sorry it took so long to get an update finished. A lt's been happening with my personal life but I'm doing my best to get these updates written up for you all regardless. So please leave reviews; the more & the lengthier, the better!**_


	40. Chapter 40

_**Mid-August, 2012**_

_Beep…beep…beep…beep…_

Mercedes heard the syncopated sounds indicating her boyfriend's heart rate, over and over as she sat at his bedside. Sam hadn't woken up since he'd arrived at the hospital hours ago. The doctors had run several tests and insisted he stay overnight to be monitored, in case of back-to-back seizing.

_Beep…beep…beep…beep…_

It seemed like things only just settled down, however. The waiting room was about as full as it'd been when Mercedes went into labor two months ago; Mr. Jones wasn't able to get away from work but Mrs. Jones was there, along with Puck, Quinn, Finn, Kurt, Tina, and Sam's family who only just arrived from Kentucky. Mercedes spent the bulk of her initial arrival, unable to hold Lukas because of how badly she'd been crying. Finn held little Lukas while Mercedes cried on Quinn's shoulder until her mom arrived. And when the doctors allowed visitors to see Sam, she caught Puck slipping into the room first and let him visit with his best friend.

_Puck shut the door behind him and stared at his brother's unconscious form; Sam lay with his hands at his sides—an IV needle shoved under the back of his left hand and an oxygen mask strapped over his nose and mouth. His hair was a bit disheveled and his skin was flushed. Puck grimaced and shoved his hands in his pockets while approaching the bed._

"_What the hell, Cap?" he mumbled, taking his time to get to the seat beside the hospital bed. "I thought you were done with this place. You're only supposed to be in here to see our kids get born and shit."_

_He stared at Sam, who looked peaceful, despite the jarring events that led to him being where he currently was. Puck sat while watching Sam's partially covered chest rise and fall; the slash he'd created across his chest was now patched over with a piece of gauze. _

"_Listen, you…you gotta pull through this. Shittiest prank on the planet and you know it, Cap. Storm and your kid are out there waiting for you." He took a long pause to draw in some deep, thought out breaths before saying, "If that dumb disease is back, you just gotta beat it again. I can't up and steal your girl from you like we used to joke about, Cap. No…not this time. You already know Storm's yours. She's always gonna be yours and Luke…that kid hardly even knows you. You gotta be here to show him all the weird shit you show Abby that makes her laugh and love you so much."_

_Again, Puck paused, resting his lips behind his folded hands while he stared at Sam's closed lids. When Sam hadn't woken up, he lowered his head and gave one dry, light chuckle. "Remember…remember the first time I had Abby to watch without Jenny? And I brought her over while we worked on _Chronic Chameleons _and she had that…just…God awful shit diaper…you and I looked like Joey and Uncle Jesse from _Full House,_ trying to change that stink bomb. I'd even used your tongs to throw it away, and you got all pissed at me for it." Puck chuckled again but it soon faded. "Now we're pros with diapers."_

_He didn't know what else he could say, so he stood up, gave Sam's wrist one firm squeeze and mumbled, "Get better soon, bro. We're all here pulling and praying for you."_

_Before leaving the room, he dug in his pocket, pulled out his wallet and removed a baby picture Sam and Mercedes had given him of Lukas from the day he was born. He was lying swaddled and cradled in Sam's arm but the photo was a close-up of Lukas's chubby face, next-to-non-existent brows, tiny button nose, and though the picture had a sepia tone, you could still tell that his cheeks were rosy. Puck propped the picture up on the small stand beside Sam's bed next to the water pitcher, and left. When he returned to the waiting room, he encouraged Mercedes to take Lukas and go be with him._

As she now sat beside his bed, she kept replaying the seizure in her mind—how she sat helplessly while Puck tried to get Sam to a safe place. It was the first time she'd ever heard Puck call Sam by his actual name. It was also the first time she felt completely useless to Sam. He was usually so composed, but he'd slipped—she and Puck saw it right before it evolved into the seizure. And now he was lying in a hospital bed with a gash across his chest; not speaking, not seeing, and hardly moving.

She watched him with the last of her tears drying up on the back of her hand while she cradled Lukas. Her body felt tired and hollowed out from all of the crying throughout the past few hours. All she wanted was for Sam to open his eyes and look at her or Lukas. The slight pout in their small son's lips closely mirrored the way Sam's lower lip was sticking out a fraction right now. It was one of the few things to make Mercedes crack even the tiniest of smiles at a time like this. But the similarity also made Mercedes bow her head for another urgent prayer that Sam would wake up—that he would be okay soon.

_Beep…beep…beep…beep…_

Lukas made a slightly guttural stirring noise while adjusting himself slightly in his mother's arms. Soon, his little lips parted and stretched forming a long, tiny, "O" shape for only a second. When he quickly closed his mouth again, his dark-lashed lids slowly fluttered open to reveal his dark green eyes. He lay staring up at his mother, all the while letting the tip of his bright pink tongue appear and disappear repeatedly from between his lips.

Mercedes gave one dry chuckle and smiled sadly at him. "Hi, Baby Boy," she quietly spoke and then leaned down to gently kiss the center of his forehead. Not long after she raised her head again, Lukas' features creased as though he were preparing to cry. Mercedes frowned at him and started to reach for the pacifier clipped to his shirt. Part of her wondered if he might need a new diaper, or if he might be hungry again but she instead spoke to him. "I know you're missing Daddy too. We just want him to open his eyes, huh, Lukas?"

By now, Lukas' features had smoothed out again and his red pacifier was making tiny bobs below his nose while he sucked on it. She watched him continue to stare up at her, and that was when Mercedes' fear escalated again. Once upon a time, she had pulled herself together and declared herself a single mother. And then when she found out Sam was the father, she had threatened to keep Lukas from ever being in his life. Now there was the very real possibility that he wasn't going to live long enough to see Lukas' first steps, or first words; his first day of kindergarten, his first little league game…

_Beep…beep…beep…beep…_

Mercedes swallowed thickly, feeling her fear and guilt attempt to consume her. However, she did her best to not let those thoughts get the better of her; it was in the past and right now she needed to keep herself in the present and she needed to keep her mind in a hopeful place. To do her best with that, she moved one hand from beneath Lukas and closed her fingers around Sam's hand while her other hand continued to securely hold their son. She stared at him for a moment and then removed her hand from Sam's hand long enough for her to reach inside Lukas' diaper bag and pull out _The Superheroic Adventures of Captain America, Storm & Lieutenant Lightning_. She shifted Lukas to one arm while opening the book up in her lap to read. By now it was practically committed to her memory, but she read through it as though it was the first time. After finishing the story and putting it back, she put her free hand back in Sam's. With her brown eyes fixed on Lukas' face, Mercedes quietly hummed the melody to "Superman" to him, while her thumb stroked small, gentle circles on the back of Sam's hand. She lost count of the number of times she'd hummed the entire song at but she found no reason to stop; it was making her feel a bit better, singing it and it lulled Lukas back to sleep.

When she finally did stop humming the song, she felt Sam's fingers twitch around her hand, simultaneous to his lips mumbling something low and unintelligible. Mercedes was too stunned about him finally wake up to care what he'd actually said, but she felt his fingers wrapping around hers with a feeble grip and she watched his eyes moving slightly, beneath his closed lids. Finally, his eyelids drew back halfway while he mumbled, "…love…voice…"

Mercedes struggled with her reactions and for a moment she thought she might not have heard it at all but rather, made it up in her head. She wanted to go find a doctor; she wanted to hug him tightly, but her arm was occupied with coddling their son. Instead, she briefly slipped her hand from Sam's, long enough for her to get up and place a slumbering Lukas inside his carrier. The second she was certain he was comfortably situated, she turned her attention back to Sam who was slowly blinking with his head lolled in her direction—his eyes fixed sleepily on her. "What happened?" he breathed in a muffled, hoarse, near inaudible voice. His words may have been more coherent were it not for the oxygen mask he was breathing in and out of.

Mercedes squeezed his hand while telling him as calmly as possible. "You…you had a seizure, Babe. We're at the hospital right now."

"Wh…ere's Lukas?"

"He's here," she promised with a sad smile. "Down here at my feet, sleeping in his carrier. Puck and the others are out in the waiting room." Mercedes lowered her head, and shut her eyes for a moment, thanking God that he had finally woken up. When she opened her eyes and lifted her head again, she saw Sam's green eyes slowly looking around the room with a tired, disoriented tone in his features. He made to sit up a little more than how he'd already been but he immediately winced and let out a short, raspy groan while raising his hand to his chest.

"What'd I…?"

Mercedes grimaced, "You had a pencil in your hand when you seized, remember?"

He shut his eyes and shook his head, letting his head fall back on the pillows. A long stretch of silence passed between them before he told her, "I remember…drawing…talking..." He swallowed thickly and proceeded to blink slowly.

There was a large part of Mercedes that felt certain he was going to fall back asleep. She didn't know what seizing did to the body but the doctor informed her earlier that people who seize are often tired afterward and can sleep for an extensive amount of time, depending on the length of the seizure. She decided not to ask Sam anything else in terms of what he remembered or why he thought he seized; He kept looking at her but she just offered him a soft, hopeful smile while anticipating him to let his eyes rest along with the rest of his body soon.

"I'm sorry….Stormy."

At that, her brows furrowed, "Sorry for what? I know I don't know everything there is to know about this kind of thing but I'm pretty sure you can't control something like this."

Sam barely shook his head while he quietly explained, "'snot what I meant…I'm sorry for scaring you."

She bit her lip and lied, "You didn't."

Even in his exhausted state he managed to pull off a look that very clearly said, "Yeah right." But the words that left his mouth were, "You're telling me…when I seized…you were cool as a cucumber?"

Mercedes lowered her gaze to Lukas and muttered, "Okay no, I wasn't."

"That's what I thought," he mumbled back with a sloppy half-smile. He caught Mercedes smiling softly and in order to get her to look up at him again, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

She lifted her eyes to him again, allowing her faint smile to be fully seen and as she reciprocated the gentle hand squeeze, her left hand reached up to tenderly caress his cheek. Her fingers slid up towards his hairline and around his right ear until she felt the slightly risen skin from where he'd had his surgery—the only area on his full head of blond where no hair had grown back. A moment later, she felt him turn his head towards her so that her fingers were no longer touching the scar.

"I'm gonna be okay," he tiredly promised her.

"I know you are," she answered, "But I'm still worried it's what caused this for you. What if it's back?"

"You can say the word, 'cancer' you know."

Mercedes' lips pulled down slightly, "I know I can… I just don't want to."

He looked intently at her and asked, "Makes it seem more real if it comes out of your mouth, doesn't it?"

After clamping down on her lip she bent her upper half towards him and slid her arms around him as best as possible. She felt Sam close his arms around her back, and although she hadn't shed any tears, the urge was one she was fiercely fighting back. She shook her head against the crook of his neck and chuckled once, dryly, "I'm supposed to be comforting _you_, Cap."

She felt his shoulders rise and fall once before answering, "You're the one that needs it right now, Stormy."

She didn't have an answer back; she absolutely felt in need of comfort, but more specifically, his comfort. She needed comfort in knowing that he was awake and capable of doing all that he loved.

"If my cancer's returned…" Sam rasped, moving his arms from around her and gently pushing her back so he could look in her eyes, "I'm gonna handle it better than I did the first time."

With a couple slow shakes of her head and a slight frown, Mercedes told him, "I don't know how you handled it before. Not any more than what you've told me, at least."

"You know that I freaked out," he answered in a low, tired mumble. "I pretty much gave up on myself."

Her brows fell low over her eyes, "You didn't tell me you gave up on yourself."

Sam nodded little defiant nods, "Yes I did. I went through all the motions to get through the tests and surgery, but what did I do after that was over? I rushed into everything… because I always had this fear that I was going to miss out on living a 'full' life if I didn't get married or have kids." A flash of frustration crossed his face as he reached up and pulled the oxygen mask off. When Mercedes reached for it, he raised a hand to stop her and muttered, "It's fine. I can breathe on my own."

Her lips clamped together to keep from arguing that she thought he should keep it on anyway; instead she nodded and listened to him speak on.

"So…what I mean by giving up on myself is that I gave up on thinking I could beat this. I didn't give myself the hope, much less the option that I could live a long, happy life like a lot of folks do." His hands were tenderly gripping the undersides of her forearms, but he lowered one hand away and looked down at Lukas.

Mercedes understood almost a full second later and slipped her hands away, bent down and carefully lifted Lukas from his carrier. His dark pink lips were slightly parted; his eyes shut while his tiny chest rose and fell quickly. Mercedes cautiously placed him in Sam's ready arms but kept herself more alter than before. She trusted that Sam would never drop their son, but he looked so incredibly tired—like the seizure had taken a heavy toll on his body. But so far, all he'd done was lay propped up, watching Lukas' button nose occasionally twitch or his tiny tongue make an appearance whenever he had to yawn.

Sam's hold on Lukas adjusted, due to the IV in his arm but he lifted their two month-old son and bowed his own head until he was able to press his lips to his forehead. "I know it's probably weird for me to say—seeing as the reason you got here is because I'd given up on myself but now that you're here….you make me wanna fight, Lieutenant Lightning…"

Mercedes' lips broke out in a sad smile as she watched and listened to Sam.

"You, and your mommy…and your Nana and Pop-Pop, and…mostly you, son…'cause I wanna be here to see you become a better man than me. To have your mommy's love and strength…both your grandparents' compassion…your aunt and uncles' carefree attitudes about life…and your daddy's love of all things comic book-related."

Sam smiled crookedly at his last sentiment and Mercedes shook her head at him but also held her sad smile.

"You're the best thing to happen to me, Lukas," he swallowed and continued to softly speak. "And… no matter what my future holds I'll be thankful every single day for you. But I'm gonna fight with everything I've got so that I'm here for a long time to tell you 'til you're sick of hearing it. And even after that."

His green hues were fixed on Lukas' round face for a moment, but he soon looked up at Mercedes, caught the sadness in her eyes and adjusted his hold on Lukas again so that he could reach his hand out for hers. As soon as he had a steady hold on her hand and her attention, he murmured, "You too, Stormy. I love you and I won't give up on us either."

Mercedes' felt a swell in her heart that pushed the tears she'd held back, past the brim of her lower lashes. She blinked them away before they could streak down her cheeks but she gave Sam's hand a gentle squeeze. "I love you too, Cap. Always."

While the scales teetered between sorrow and sweetness, Mercedes leaned in to kiss his lips, tipping the scales in favor of the sweetness. Sam moved his hand from hers so that he could cup her cheek while they kissed; neither was very away of the jump in Sam's heart rate as he remained hooked to the monitors. The two were abruptly interrupted however, by two quick knocks on the room door and the doctor's entrance. They both looked to the door and as the doctor greeted them both and welcomed Sam back to consciousness, Sam slowly and carefully held Lukas out for Mercedes to take. She placed their slumbering boy back in his carrier and then resumed her attentiveness to the doctor, as well as her hand holding with Sam.

Her eyes were locked on the clipboard the doctor was now holding in front of his chest as he opened his mouth to tell them both what the results of Sam's tests were.

* * *

_**Please leave reviews! I owe each of you loyal readers a very sincere apology. Although I felt I needed some time away from writing for my fanfics, I honestly didn't intend for it to take me this long to get back in the game to write. As for some bittersweet news, this is the last continuous chapter to Miracle Baby. The next chapter I write will be an epilogue, followed by some author's notes that I've jotted down through the duration of writing this fic. I promise to do my best not to disappoint with the finale/epilogue; also, the intentional cliffhanger will be addressed/answered in the epilogue.**_

_**Also, I want to apologize to those who might have misconstrued my frustrated posts on Tumblr, and made them feel guilty for their reviews. I absolutely appreciate the reviews I receive on all of my fanfics (this, REAL Love, The Joe Evans Adventure, etc.) and I don't mind the encouragement for an update at the end of your reviews. However, leaving me reviews that **_only _**say things such as "Plz update" immediately after I've updated, or "KEEP WRITING!" when I haven't updated in a while are incredibly annoying to me. Likewise, if you're reviewing to inform me that you didn't like my fic, do me and you a favor and don't leave the review at all. The easiest thing for you to do is to just not read it anymore and carry on with your life. And as I said on Tumblr, my personal thoughts when it comes to reviewing/critiquing are: Be complimentary, be constructive or be quiet. Whether you agree or not, at least take it into consideration the next time you go leaving me or any other fic writer a review.**_


	41. Chapter 41: Epilogue

**-4 years later-**

**June 16, 2016**

22 year-old Mercedes was crouched in the backyard beside her four year-old, placing wild flowers over a stony plaque that read, "_Cherish life and all it has to offer. To yesterday, today, and tomorrow_." She gave it a long, thoughtful look until she was pulled out of her thoughts by her son.

"Mommy? How come put flowers here?" asked little Lukas. Standing at just a little over three feet tal, he leaned into his mother's side—his tiny, mocha fingers curling into the shoulder of her dress. Mercedes didn't have the heart to cut his honey-brown locks short, so it hung in big, wild ringlets around his chubby-cheeked face.

Mercedes turned to look to his face with a soft smile, "We put them here to remember important things, baby boy." Her arm came around him and as she stood, she took him with her. "Come on, little man—after Mommy's graduation, we're gonna celebrate your birthday!"

Lukas' full set of lips stretched into a wide gap-toothed grin. He tensed in his mom's arms with excitement and asked, "I wanna presents!"

With a soft giggle, Mercedes told him, "Yes and lots and lots of presents." She leaned in an him a noisy kiss on the cheek while taking him inside the house—inside hers and Sam's house, or at least it _was_ their house. She looked around the downstairs living room, which had currently been crowded with boxes of varying sizes. Often times, it was hard for her to believe that she was leaving this house behind. In the short four years that she'd lived there, there had been so many 'first' experiences for her, and her son. It was the first place she'd lived, other than her parents house; the first place she'd made love in, the first place Lukas took his first steps, babbled his first words and first used the potty. He'd had his first Christmas here and _would_ have had his first birthday there, had her parents not insisted that they host it.

Mercedes smiled as she thought about that tiff that actually ended up being a better decision than she wanted to admit to. Between Tamara Jones and Mary Evans, Lukas had one very spoiled birthday party, with some heavy insistence by Mercedes for an animal theme—much like his bedroom.

_Ding-dong_!

"Who's there?" Lukas called out, whipping his curly-haired head towards the door and triggering a smirk on his mom's face.

After walking the two of them to the door, Mercedes opened it to reveal her parents on the other side. Mrs. Jones gasped with a wide grin, immediately turning her gaze and open arms to her grandson. "There's my favorite little man!"

Lukas smiled and after being set to his feet, he ran right to his grandma. "Hi Gramma T!"

Tamara Jones grinned and picked him up with an exaggerated groan, "Oh, you're getting bigger every time I see you , handsome man! Muwah!" she noisily kissed his chubby cheek and then set him back to his feet.

As Mercedes went to grab her cap, gown and purse, she overheard Lukas say, "Look! I'ma dog! Gramma T, I'm a dog! Ow, Owwwwooo!"

When his mom looked back at him, he was crouched on the floor on all fours, his tongue hanging out of his mouth while his excited eyes started up at his grandmother.

Mercedes shook her head at his silliness while Tamara Jones threw her head back and laughed. "Come on, my little grandpuppy. Let's go watch Mommy graduate and then we'll party for you!"

They began to leave but Mrs. Jones paused in the door way while looking past her daughter at the boxed up home. She let out a heavy sigh and smiled, "I can't believe you're gonna be in LA recording music, baby."

Mercedes gently rubbed her mom's arm to sooth her, "We're not leaving today, Mom."

"I know," sniffed Mrs. Jones. "But you are soon."

"We'll come visit soon, I promise. We'll come back in August for Dad's birthday and the holidays. Plus we have the Evans' to visit in Kentucky so don't think of it as us saying goodbye for good to this part of the country." Mercedes smiled and when she received one back from her mom, she embraced her tightly and then followed her out of the house.

They, along with Mr. Jones—who had transferred Lukas' birthday presents to Mercedes' trunk—all rode together to Columbus, arriving just in time for Mercedes to line up with the rest of the Music majors. She adjusted her cap and tassel, head bowed slightly, and soon found her eyes fixed on nothing in particular while her thoughts wandered. She thought back to moments over the past few years; moments where handling school, work and motherhood weighed heavily on her. Moments where she'd held Lukas and softly sang to him, only to end up inadvertently napping with him; or when he'd a terrible ear infection and broke her heart with his crying and how helpless she'd been to her own son.

Those memories and several more passed through her mind as she walked out to the ceremony site and sat through the chancellor, valedictorian and guest speaker's speeches, and when it came time for her row to stand and make their way to the stage to accept their diplomas.

"Mercedes Nichelle Jones," called the Dean.

Immediately, a small section of attendees burst into cheers and whoops, against the chancellor's earlier request to refrain from applause until the end. Mercedes' cheeks burned and her heart-shaped lips spread in a timid but growing smile while she crossed the stage. Her right hand extended to shake the Dean's hand and her left hand accepted the diploma; they paused and looked to the nearby photographer, and then she continued towards the other side of the stage. The cheering from her family hadn't ceased the entire time she was on the stage. When she looked up, she saw her dad clapping respectfully while holding Lukas at his side, her mom wiping a rebel tear from her eye; Kurt, Burt and Carole Hummel all had their hands cupped around their mouth to project their whoops. Beside them stood a very pregnant Lauren Puckerman with the top of six year-old Abby's head just barely visible at her side. On Abby's other side stood Puck, trying to out-cheer the miniature foghorn in his hand and a camera in the other. Mercedes laughed when she saw Lauren smack him upside the back of his head to get him to stop with the horn. Above them, Quinn was rolling her eyes, shaking her head and smirking while she clapped; Finn was holding their three year-old son on his broad shoulders, allowing little Adryinn to see above any and everyone else.

Finally, her eyes skimmed over the Evans family standing beside Quinn and Finn. Dwight and Mary Evans' smiles shining down on Mercedes along with the sight of Stevie and Stacy's "CONGRATS CEDES!" poster, causing her smile to grow. She winked up at her family and then made her way to her seat again for the remainder of the graduation.

* * *

"Congratulations, Mercedes!"cheered Kurt as soon as he spotted her. He forced his way through the sea of other graduates until he nearly collided into Mercedes' arms. She returned the hug and said several 'Thank you's as more congratulating greetings filled her ears from her family.

"Crad-layshins Mommy!" Lukas said as he tugged on the end of her gown.

Mercedes bent and picked him up, covering his face in kisses as she did so. "Thank you, baby boy!"

"Where Daddy? Where him at?" he asked.

Her smile faltered before answering, "He's not here…. But hey, I know there's a zoo waiting for you!"

"Yaay!" Tamara Jones and Mary Evans encouragingly cheered, bringing Lukas' smile back to his face.

"Come on birthday boy," said Mercedes, adding one more kiss to his cheek, "Let's go celebrate your birthday—today's about _you_ now!"

Lukas' caramel-toned face brightened up and he found something to chatter about and make noise about during half the drive back to Lima. The other half of the drive had been much more quiet as he'd fallen asleep before they arrived at the Allen County Zoo.

"Did triple-L conk out?" Puck asked as they all got out of their cars.

Mercedes—who had rid herself of her cap and gown and changed before leaving the university—smiled as she unbuckled the sleeping birthday boy from his car seat and hoisted him into her arms. "Yeah, he's out like a light." His long slender legs dangled with each step they took towards the entrance. His plump cheek rested on her shoulder, causing his equally full lips to hang open in a warped, "O" shape; and the ends of his wild honey-brown curls brushed against Mercedes' cheek, tickling her every so often.

She smiled and giggled at times from the tickling hair but when they, along with their family reached the already decorated picnic tables, Mercedes' smile grew again. They were met by Santana, Brittany, Artie, Tina, Mike and Sugar who were all huddled around one of the tables. There were balloons of every color—but mostly blue, since Lukas decided that blue was his favorite color. A large chocolate sheet cake sat on one of the tables with more balloons decorated on it reading, "Happy 4th Birthday Lukas!" and at the end of the same table sat a pile of gifts, which were being added to by the Puckermans, the Hudsons and the Hummels.

The squawk of tropical birds and chirping of spider monkeys woke Lukas from his nap. He lifted his head to reveal his sleepy green eyes to all his party guests. Mercedes smiled and planted another kiss on his cheek, "Hey there birthday boy. Look where we are!"

Lukas rubbed his eyes before turning his head more. It didn't take long for him to register that they were at the zoo. He sleepily said, "Z'zoo!"

"Happy birthday Triple L!" Puck said, snatching the young boy from Mercedes arms and lifting him high up. The height difference from the ground, compared to being in his mom's arms woke him up even further.

"Pumme dowwwn Unco Puck!" he insisted

Puck chuckled and set him to his feet. "Had to wake you up little guy! We've got monkeys and giraffes to see and baby goats to terrorize!"

"You're not terrorizing the goats," Lauren reprimanded, folding her arms over her chest.

"Daddy!" Lukas yelped out over Lauren.

Mercedes grinned, watching her small son dash over to one of the picnic tables. Taping down a red plastic cover to the tabletop with his back to the group was Sam. He turned to reveal his signature crooked smile, visible beneath weeks of finely-trimmed, reddish-brown scruff. The top of his dark, golden hair was somewhat long and slightly messy while the back was cut short. When he turned his head to look down and meet his son's eager gaze, the faint pink scar behind his ear showed, serving as another reminder—just as the plaque in their yard did.

The day he seized, almost four years ago, was the day Mercedes and he learned of his need for a more consistent routine in caring for his health. Lukas' arrival, while anticipated, had changed his former self-care habits. He'd stopped running every morning and wasn't sleeping regularly. The pressure he put on himself to keep up with Puck on their comics had weighed heavily, and eventually the compilation led to his seizure. From then on, him and Mercedes worked with their families and friends to keep a steady routine—as steady of one as little Lukas would allow. Since then, his seizures had tamed, where he'd only experienced two mild episodes during the past four years.

Sam lifted Lukas effortlessly into his arms planting a bristly kiss, along with a playful growl against Lukas' chubby cheek. When his son pealed with giggles, Sam grinned softly and asked him," So what are we seeing first, hm?" He made his way towards Mercedes while listened to Lukas list off almost every animal in the zoo for his answer.

"Congratulations, Stormy," he murmured in Mercedes' ear once he was close.

Mercedes' hands came up to gently rest on his chest while she snuck a quick peck on the corner of his lips. Her own pair puckered slightly from being tickled, but she soon smiled, "Thank you, Cap."

"You really should have been there, Samuel," Mary Evans said with a sad smile.

Dwight Evans chimed in, curling an arm around his wife's back, "Yeah, son. We coulda handled everything here."

While still holding Lukas at his side, Sam told his parents, "I know, but we'd already planned all this out and that's why I sent Stark with my camera."

Puck cast a proud smile and proclaimed, "Best photographer in Lima!" as he walked past them.

Sam rolled his eyes, smirked and shook his head. "Anyway, let's get the birthday boy's party started. Sounds like he's got a lot of animals he wants to see."

"Daddy I wanna see all the aminals!" Lukas announced while patting his daddy's shoulder.

"All the aminals?" asked Sam, amused at his son's eager and mispronounced speech.

Lukas continued urging his daddy on, "Yeah—les go da'ee!"

* * *

The rest of the day was spent escorting Lukas around to each of the animal dens, cages and pens. There had only been a brief mention of the move Sam and Mercedes were making, but the rest of the day was centered around their newly four year-old boy. At the end of the day, when Lukas' gifts were loaded up in Sam's truck and an exhausted Lukas was safely buckled into Mercedes' Equinox, the two parents bid their friends and family farewell for the day.

"Y'know, I don't know why Jenny's insisting we have this going away party for you guys when we're gonna be following you kids to California in August."

Sam rolled his eyes and said, "Don't you go robbing me of a party, Stark. In fact, why are you even fussing? I know Reed's gonna take you guys to Brittania Arms too before you leave Lima."

Mercedes chuckled and appeased Puck by saying, "If you don't get a going away party, we'll throw all of us a, 'Welcome to Cali' party."

"Don't encourage him, Mercedes," Lauren flatly said in passing to the car.

"Woman!" Puck fussed at his wife and then quickly told Mercedes, "Don't listen to her, Ororo. I see you looking out for me." He winked at Mercedes, to which she laughed and shook her head at him.

"Just remember who you're going home with, and who's getting ready to bring your son into the world, Stark."

Puck pretended to be disappointed by Mercedes' reminder, slumping his shoulders and grimacing at her but he soon waved her off and said, "I don't remember asking for a truth bomb to be dropped, Ororo—you're supposed to be on my side."

"Dude," Sam clapped a hand on Puck's shoulder, "Worry less about who's in your corner and more about whether or not you're gonna get couched again tonight."

Puck glanced over his shoulders to confirm the daggers he felt Lauren shooting in his back from the passenger's seat of his car. He pursed his lips and then said, "Yeah…remind me to buy a comfier couch when we get to LA. This TV deal for Chronic Chameleons should afford me a Tempurpedic couch."

Mercedes rolled her eyes at him while smirking.

"Memory foam?" snickered Sam.

"Hell yeah!" hollered Puck on the way to his car with his voice shooting up an octave.

Sam and Mercedes laughed at him on their way to their own cars, and then followed each other home.

Sam took Lukas to bed while Mercedes arranged his gifts neatly downstairs. When she made it up to their bedroom to change into her pajamas, she let out a soft but audible sigh, "What a day. But Lukas had fun."

"Mm," Sam replied.

"Oh my God, I did not think we were gonna get him away from the monkeys!" she grinned, pulling a black camisole over her head.

"Uh-huh."

"You did a great job with the decorations by the way."

"Yeah, thanks," he mumbled.

At this point, Mercedes arched her brows at him, "Uh…are you okay? Because if you just wanna go to bed and _not _talk about our son's party, then I'll shut the hell up."

"Huh?" Sam's back was to her while he stood by their dresser, staring at his underwear drawer. He slammed the drawer shut upon returning his attention to Mercedes and when he caught her suspicious gaze and irritated features, he smiled.

Her already knitted brows pulled closer; her arms folded while she shifted her weight to one foot. "You wanna tell me what's wrong? You've been acting off since we got home."

He hadn't answered her right away. Rather, his lips tucked hinide his mouth and he folded his arms across his chest, fixing a pensive gaze to the floor for several seconds. Finally when he answered, he said, "That plaque you got for the yard three years ago: _Cherish life and all it has to offer. To yesterday, today, and tomorrow_. I told you when you got it that it was real nice, Stormy but I feel like it's resonated with me this past year. And I know we said today was going to be about Lukas because it's his birthday, but today really is an important day for all of us."

Mercedes' brows arched with confusion and she cast him a confused smile, noticing that his hands were restless; he'd gone from folding them across his chest to holding both her hands, to rubbing his hands on his pajama pant legs, to wringing his hands. "Are you sure you're okay, Cap?" she asked again, regarding him warily while stepping close to rub his arm. "You're really starting to worry me and you're acting crazy."

Sam shook his head and chuckled, "I'm fine, I'm fine I promise. Just… what was I saying? Right—an important day for all of us." He drew Mercedes' hands down from his arm and resumed holding her hands. "Four years ago we became a family. I remember that day so well and…it was probably the best day of my life. Stormy, you not only decided to keep and carry Lukas while finishing up high school, but you allowed yourself to know me and love me too. Over the past four years you've been here—loving me, making me smile; fighting me from time to time and willing to work it out when it escalated. You've been supporting my endeavors, including this move we're about to make to California. You've inspired me so much with your passion for music and all the love you hold in your heart and share with everyone you meet. You've been an amazing mother to our son, and the best friend and girlfriend I could ask for. I'd like you to be something else though…"

A sharp breath hitched in Mercedes' throat, the moment Sam slipped his hands out of hers. She lifted one hand to her chest while her eyes watched him—with slightly blurry vision—step back towards their dresser. He pulled his underwear drawer open, reached deep inside for only a second before producing a small black velvet box.

"There's no doubt in my mind that you're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with—to have more children with one day. _You're_ the one I want to call my wife, if you'll allow me to, Stormy." His tone was unwavering despite his restlessness earlier. Sam lowered himself to one knee and as he locked gazes with an awestruck Mercedes, his long fingers pried the lid of the box open to reveal a platinum split shank band with two dark blue, almost purple tanzanite gemstones beside a 2 carat princess cut diamond.

Mercedes' hand moved from her chest to cover her mouth. She skyward hoping to clear her vision but to no avail. Large tears swelled in her eyes and sat on her lashes; when she finally blinked they slipped down her round cheeks.

Sam swallowed thickly and then smiled—his voice deep and steady. He took hold of her left hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before asking, "Mercedes Nichelle Jones, will you marry me?"

Her heart-shaped lips parted but no speech came out. She returned the squeeze to her hand and wiped her yes to better see Sam's face before answering. "Sam, I love you with all of my heart, body, mind and soul. I've told you before that I don't want to know what my life would be like without you…and I still mean that now. I thank God every day for you and Lukas." She grinned softly at him and gave a gentle tug to usher him to his feet. "Yes..." Her voice faded as she mouthed, "I'll marry you," to him.

Instantly, a grin stretched across Sam's full lips. He bowed his head for a moment and then let go of her hand long enough to remove the ring and carefully place it on her left finger. When he finally complied with the tugs Mercedes gave him a moment ago, Sam quickly found himself seized around his middle. He grinned and faintly blushed while returning the embrace. His head bowed to kiss the top of her head but Mercedes' face lifted to him. He already knew what she was seeking before her lips had begun to pucker. They shared a kiss in each other's arms and when their lips parted, the two looked in one another's eyes saying plenty to one another but none of spoken.

It was a moment too profound for speech, for they could feel their love.


	42. Author's Notes

A/N for the end of Miracle Baby: _**These A/N are usually random thoughts I've had throughout the writing process of Miracle Baby, as well as my thanks to you all, fun facts, & some written "deleted scene" descriptions, haha.**_

* * *

-THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I really can't say that enough. And of course a HUGE thank you to LunaSolTierra. If you're reading this, I'll forever be grateful to you for sending this fic idea to me. And for everyone else reading this, PLEASE take a moment to PM her a lovely message if you enjoyed Miracle Baby. Had she not messaged me with the fic idea, it wouldn't have happened.

-The chapter most people said was their favorite (ch. 34/Lukas' birth) was the chapter I struggled most with in terms of being satisfied with it before posting it. I turn a lot of things over in my mind when I'm writing out my stories (fanfiction or otherwise) and I remember the day I started writing that chapter, I was cranking out a lot of it, and then I had to go to work before I could finish it. While at work, I was doubting a lot of what I already had written, thinking that people were going to be bored reading about Mercedes having contractions and being in pain; that her conversation with her dad was going to seem cliché and the remindful moments of Sam's cancer were going to be too much of a downer on an otherwise joyous occasion. But as much as I doubted it, it all ended up making it in the chapter, and to my pleasant surprise you guys loved it! Thank you for that irony, lol.

-On the Epic Mommy's Day chapter, I was going to write Lauren, Puck, Sam and Mercedes having a dinner conversation where Lauren brings up the topic of marriage for Sam and Mercedes. Sam stays quiet and Mercedes makes nervous aversions on the subject. It wasn't something she'd seriously thought much about at the time but she also didn't want to say something in the heat of the moment, only to potentially hurt Sam's feelings. By then she'd known that Sam had proposed to Janelle while they were dating, only to be shot down. But I decided to scrap it for 2 reasons: 1, was that the chapter was getting really long as I was writing it out (the idea came before I began writing the chapter) and 2, I slipped in the snippet of marriage inside Sam's Mother's Day card to Mercedes so by the time I finished writing that out, I figured it was enough on the subject for the time being.

-Initially I had the rating on Miracle Baby as T, but as I got closer to writing out the birth I changed it to M. It wasn't so much that the birth was going to be graphic, but more so because I knew what was going to come in the near future, chapter-wise with Mercedes losing her virginity. Of course, not long after I did this, I started getting questions on when Sam and Mercedes were going to have sex. And every time I read the inquiries, in my mind I was answering back, "When they're supposed to!" Haha.

-Originally, I thought about having Janelle show up at Sam and Mercedes' baby shower and stress Mercedes to the point where she'd gone into labor early, but by the time I got to writing the shower chapter, I scrapped that idea. For one, I was sick of Janelle and didn't want some stupid, bat shit crazy drama from her again. And two, I really wanted Sam and Mercedes to have a nice party. Three, I didn't know how the hell I was going to explain how Janelle would know where Mercedes lived unless I took her insanity up to ultra stalker status (which I was not interested in doing). The only thing that would have kept me going on that idea was the fact that I was going to have Quinn and Lauren throw her ass to the curb.

-I wish I had written in more interaction between Samcedes and their siblings, especially Stevie and Mercedes, and Sam and Trent. I actually meant to write in a moment where Trent geeks out (while still trying to keep his cool) in front of Sam because he knows he and Puck are the ones behind _Chronic Chameleons_. Unfortunately, it never happened.

-Speaking of _Chronic Chameleons_, I never really followed up with Mercedes' reaction to the comic. I think I'd written a part where she tells Kurt that it's really good, but that was about it. I wanted to write another conversation about it between her, Puck and Sam but for the sake of moving the story along, I never got around to it. But she ended up loving it (as I'm sure you could guess by now).

-Also, the concepts for _Chronic Chameleons_ and _Gladiator Girls_ came from a couple animate series ideas I had several years ago, where I wrote & drew myself and my siblings & cousins in for _Chronic Chameleons_, and I, along with my sister and 3 of my cousins were the leading ladies in _Gladiator Girls_. I wanted _Gladiator Girls_ to be this generation's _Sailor Moon_, so-to-speak, while _Chronic Chameleons_ was like _Captain Planet_ meets _X-Men_…I guess…lol (believe me when I say that that's a terrible way of explaining it). Anyway, the bottom line is that Spuck's comic books derived from TV series ideas I've drawn up and thought about since I was about 12/13 years old. If someone reminds me on Tumblr, I'll show a picture I'd drawn a while back of my _Gladiator Girls_.

-I tend to be a very nostalgic person, so just as I said in Flash Forward, how there's a possibility for a return/sequel for Sam, Mercedes & their family there? There is definitely a possibility for more of Sam, Mercedes and Lukas here on my account. I don't know when or how it would go, but the possibility is certainly there.

-It was a funny coincidence (that I didn't notice until I was writing the epilogue) that the night Mercedes and Shane broke up, they'd gone to see _Captain America: The First Avenger_, which Mercedes' had been completely engrossed in.

-Puck's nickname for Lukas, 'Triple L' stands for Lieutenant Lightening, Lukas. Sometimes he just calls him Luke-tenant.

-The engagement ring Sam had made for Mercedes holds her birthstone beside the diamond.

-Since it took me forever and a day to update, I thought I'd remind everyone of the comic book/superhero nicknames everyone got:

Sam—Steve Rogers/Captain America; "Cap"  
Puck—Tony Stark/Iron Man  
Finn—Dr. Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic  
Quinn—Sue Storms/Invisible Woman  
Mercedes—Ororo Munroe/Storm  
Lauren—Jennifer "Jenny" Walters/She-Hulk  
Lukas—Lieutenant Lightning*

*Lieutenant Lightning was entirely made up by me; by no means does he or has he existed in the Marvel universe or any other comic books that I know of.

-Did anyone ever try the Taco Soup recipe? :) If so, how did it turn out? Did you like it?

-Once again, I really want to thank everyone who read through, supported/encouraged this fic! Seriously, I had a lot of fun working on it and I'm sorry my frequent updates faltered towards the end. But thanks for hanging in there with me for the ending and hopefully I can keep chugging along with my other fics and possibly start some new ones in the future.


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